People do not always want more: Effects of gains and satisfaction on goal orientation in different age groups

Abstract Past research suggests age-related differences in goal orientation: Whereas younger adults are more likely to orient their goals towards gains and growth, older adults have a stronger orientation towards maintenance and loss avoidance. Three online studies with US participants on MTurk examined the role of gains, losses, and satisfaction for these age-related differences in goal orientation. Studies 1 ( N = 179, 20–82 years, 49.2% female) and 2 ( N = 241, 18–73 years, 53.1% female) showed that goal orientation was mainly associated with perceived gains and satisfaction with the current state but not with losses: the subjectively experienced accumulation of gains was positively associated with gain, maintenance, and loss-avoidance orientation; higher satisfaction with the status quo was associated with a stronger maintenance orientation and a weaker gain orientation. Subjectively experienced and expected losses were unrelated to goal orientation. Study 3 ( N = 611, 18–83 years, 46.7% female) confirmed the causal effect of satisfaction with the current state on gain orientation (but not on maintenance or loss-avoidance orientation) by experimentally manipulating satisfaction with a given status quo. When higher (versus lower) satisfaction was induced, participants were less oriented towards striving for gains. The results suggest that, across age groups, perceived accumulation of gains and satisfaction with the current state impact goal orientation more strongly than losses. This research promotes our understanding of the antecedents of age-related differences in goal orientation and motivational development across adulthood.