Does the level at which goals are set (e.g., 'walking' versus 'physical activity' versus 'lose weight') influence their effectiveness?

Does the level at which goals are set (i.e., individual behaviours versus categories of behaviour versus outcomes of behaviour) influence their effectiveness?

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN10092138

Enrollment

440

Registered

2019-02-28

Start date

2019-02-25

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2019-09-16

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Behavioural goal setting Not Applicable

Interventions

Participants will be randomized to one of four conditions and asked to complete a questionnaire. For participants in the control group, questionnaire completion will signal the end of the study. Parti

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Residents of the UK 2. Over the age of 18 3. Able to perform light exercise but typically engage in fewer than 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) per week

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Not UK residents 2. Under 18 years old 3. Not able to perform physical activity or they typically performed more than 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of physical activity per week

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Participants' engagement in physical activity subdivided into: 1. Walking, measured at baseline and follow-up 2. Walking frequency, measured at baseline and follow-up 3. Walking time, measured at baseline and follow-up 4. Walking intensity, measured at baseline and follow-up 5. Cycling, measured at baseline and follow-up 6. Cycling frequency, measured at baseline and follow-up 7. Cycling time, measured at baseline and follow-up 8. Cycling intensity, measured at baseline and follow-up 9. Sport/activity, measured at baseline and follow-up 10. Sport/activity frequency, measured at baseline and follow-up 11. Sport/activity time, measured at baseline and follow-up 12. Sport/activity intensity, measured at baseline and follow-up 13. Sitting time during a week, measured at baseline and follow-up 14. Sitting time during the weekend, measured at baseline and follow-up All variables are being measured using a self-report method and a final score will be calculated by summing all activities which were sufficient to raise breathing rate. Sources: short active lives survey (Sport England), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The follow-up questionnaire administration will be conducted 2 weeks after the first questionnaire completion.	—

Measure

Time frame

Participants' engagement in physical activity subdivided into: 1. Walking, measured at baseline and follow-up 2. Walking frequency, measured at baseline and follow-up 3. Walking time, measured at baseline and follow-up 4. Walking intensity, measured at baseline and follow-up 5. Cycling, measured at baseline and follow-up 6. Cycling frequency, measured at baseline and follow-up 7. Cycling time, measured at baseline and follow-up 8. Cycling intensity, measured at baseline and follow-up 9. Sport/activity, measured at baseline and follow-up 10. Sport/activity frequency, measured at baseline and follow-up 11. Sport/activity time, measured at baseline and follow-up 12. Sport/activity intensity, measured at baseline and follow-up 13. Sitting time during a week, measured at baseline and follow-up 14. Sitting time during the weekend, measured at baseline and follow-up All variables are being measured using a self-report method and a final score will be calculated by summing all activities which were sufficient to raise breathing rate. Sources: short active lives survey (Sport England), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The follow-up questionnaire administration will be conducted 2 weeks after the first questionnaire completion.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Physical activity beliefs: 1. Physical opportunity, measured at baseline and follow-up 2. Social opportunity, measured at baseline and follow-up 3. Reflective motivation, measured at baseline and follow-up 4. Automatic motivation, measured at baseline and follow-up 5. Physical ability, measured at baseline and follow-up 6. Psychological capability, measured at baseline and follow-up Source: Keyworth, C, Epton, T, Goldthorpe, J, Calam, R, & Armitage, C. Reliability, validity, and acceptability of a brief measure of capabilities, opportunities, and motivations. Goal beliefs: 1. Goal desire, measured at baseline and follow-up 2. Goal control, measured at baseline and follow-up 3. Goal difficulty, measured at baseline and follow-up 4. Goal confidence, measured at baseline 5. Goal attention, measured at follow-up 6. Goal effort, measured at follow-up 7. Goal commitment, measured at follow-up 8. Goal strategy, measured at follow-up 9. Goal completion, measured at follow-up 10. Goal informed, measured at follow-up 11. Group goal, measured at follow-up Source: Perugini, M, & Conner, M (2000). Predicting and understanding behavioral volitions: The interplay between goals and behaviors. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30(5), 705–731. All variables are being measured using self-report. The follow-up questionnaire administration will be conducted 2 weeks after the first questionnaire completion.	—

Measure

Time frame

Physical activity beliefs: 1. Physical opportunity, measured at baseline and follow-up 2. Social opportunity, measured at baseline and follow-up 3. Reflective motivation, measured at baseline and follow-up 4. Automatic motivation, measured at baseline and follow-up 5. Physical ability, measured at baseline and follow-up 6. Psychological capability, measured at baseline and follow-up Source: Keyworth, C, Epton, T, Goldthorpe, J, Calam, R, & Armitage, C. Reliability, validity, and acceptability of a brief measure of capabilities, opportunities, and motivations. Goal beliefs: 1. Goal desire, measured at baseline and follow-up 2. Goal control, measured at baseline and follow-up 3. Goal difficulty, measured at baseline and follow-up 4. Goal confidence, measured at baseline 5. Goal attention, measured at follow-up 6. Goal effort, measured at follow-up 7. Goal commitment, measured at follow-up 8. Goal strategy, measured at follow-up 9. Goal completion, measured at follow-up 10. Goal informed, measured at follow-up 11. Group goal, measured at follow-up Source: Perugini, M, & Conner, M (2000). Predicting and understanding behavioral volitions: The interplay between goals and behaviors. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30(5), 705–731. All variables are being measured using self-report. The follow-up questionnaire administration will be conducted 2 weeks after the first questionnaire completion.

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Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026