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At times, goals seem to conflict, pulling people in opposite directions; at other times, they appear to complement or even facilitate one another, creating harmony. We propose and test a theoretical framework for understanding the antecedents and consequences of perceived goal harmony. We find that goal harmony can be enhanced through the cognitive process of mental integration, which includes identifying connections between goals (e.g., considering how holding a job supports parenting) and creating multifinal means (e.g., considering how a means to job success can also serve parenting). Additionally, goal harmony is acquired through social learning. People in five collectivistic countries reported greater goal harmony than those in five individualistic countries (e.g., more harmony in India and China than in the Netherlands and the United States), and men reported more harmony between their work and family goals than women. We further find that goal harmony predicts and causally increases motivation and well-being. Interventions designed to promote goal harmony enhanced prosocial behaviors and encouraged healthier eating habits. Further, individuals who perceived greater goal harmony were more likely to stick to their New Year's resolutions over a 2-month period. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Wang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.