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13.08.2026
The Interactions Between Goals, Performance, and Emotions During Learning
Self-regulated learning encompasses the setting of goals, the completion of tasks, and the subsequent evaluation of one's own performance. Although these processes are well described, it has so far remained unclear how they concretely interact over time. Lin and colleagues (2026) propose a computational model for this purpose, which systematically links goal setting, performance, and emotions and analyzes their interactions across several learning phases. The basis for this is the deviation between goal and actual performance (goal–performance discrepancy, GPD), which serves as the central mechanism for adaptation processes.
The results from two datasets – an experimental math task and a learning app for exam preparation – show that learners continuously adjust their goals. Higher goal setting is, on average, associated with better performance. At the same time, learners respond differently to success and failure: whereas in the experimental setting lower goals tended to be set after a goal was missed, learners in the exam context raised their goal values, presumably in order to achieve a superordinate goal such as passing the exam. These findings point to a flexible and context-sensitive adjustment of goals.
Emotions play a central role in this. They arise not only as a reaction to performance but also influence future goal setting and performance. Enjoyment in particular consistently predicts higher goal setting, yet affects performance differently depending on context: in the experimental task it is associated with lower performance, whereas in the exam context it is associated with better performance. The results suggest that emotional effects depend on the perceived value and importance of a task.
The study thus shows that self-regulated learning can be described as a system of reciprocal feedback loops. Methodologically, it contributes to modeling such dynamics more precisely. However, it should be noted as a limitation that only selected emotions were considered and that the model remains restricted to adult learners. For research and practice, the findings underscore the importance of considering goal setting, performance feedback, and emotional processes together.
Publication
Lin, W. M., FitzGibbon, L., Theobald, M., Breitwieser, J., Brod, G., Murayama, K. & Sakaki, M. (2026). The dynamic interplay between goal setting, performance, and emotions in self-regulated learning: A computational modeling approach. Journal of Educational Psychology, 118(5), 811–828. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0001022
Press Contact
Kristina Laube
presse@lead.uni-tuebingen.de
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