science

Goals, plans, action theory

Goals, plans, action theory is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Goals, plans, action theory rather than just read about it. In short: The Goals, Plans, Action theory explains how people use influence over others to accomplish their goals. This theory is prominent in the field of interpersonal communication.

Key takeaways

Goals, plans, action theory belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Goals, plans, action theory to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Goals, plans, action theory from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Goals, Plans, Action theory explains how people use influence over others to accomplish their goals. This theory is prominent in the field of interpersonal communication. The theory is a model for how individuals gain compliance from others. There can be multiple goals related to the need for compliance. These goals are separated into primary and secondary categories. These goals are then translated into plans, both strategic and tactical, and finally carried out in actions. Goals motivate plans, and actions deliver the effort to accomplish goals. The model is rooted in the scientific tradition, with scientific realism, the assumption that “much of the world is patterned, knowable, and objective." The Goals, Plans, Action theory has shown application in academic and personal relationships.

Background The Goals, Plans, Action theory was first drafted by James Price Dillard in 1990 in his book Seeking Compliance: The Production of Interpersonal Influence Messages. Since then, several amendments to the theory have been made by Dillard and other communications scholars.

Assumptions The Goals, Plans, Action theory makes the following assumptions: individuals are predictable, goals are based on deeper values, and their behavior is intentional. As a practical theory, the Goals, Plans, Action theory assumes that the world is knowable. Individuals will follow certain objective cognitive processes that result in their behavior. In addition, goals are the tangible product of values. The individual's attitude, beliefs, and cultural background inform their goals. Finally, individuals are deliberate in their actions: the greater the desire to accomplish their objective, the harder they will work.

Concepts The Goals, Plans, Action theory includes the following concepts: the individual has at least one of seven primary goals along with one of five secondary goals, and plans are both thoughtful and actionable. The Goals, Plans, Action theory declares that individuals knowingly act in order to accomplish a certain outcome. The 'why' behind their behavior is known. Individuals may be acting upon multiple goals at a time, dependent on current circumstances. These goals, both primary and secondary, may conflict with one another, and may change over time. In a relationship, as the individual seeks to influence the other, they will look to familiar plans and actions first. If those plans and actions do not meet their needs, they will branch out.

Goals

Primary goals There are seven primary goals that drive plans, and ultimately lead to action. These goals are defined as primary because they are found at the beginning of the goal attainment process. Primary goals allow an individual to bracket the interaction. They are also referred to as influence goals as they are the key ways an individual might impact another person. The primary goals are: gain assistance, give advice, share activity, change orientation, change relationship, obtain permission, and enforce rights and obligations. With each of the goals, the individual is intending to provide or obtain something to further their relationship with the other person. Differences in primary and secondary goals can be understood from different perspectives. From the research perspective, the primary and influence goals are the chief purpose of interaction. The primary goal triggers the consideration and incorporates secondary goals.

Secondary goals Secondary goals are derivative of primary goals: without a primary goal, no secondary goals exist. Secondary goals directly apply to the actions of the individual in the Goals, Plans, Action model. There are five secondary goals: identity, conversation management, relational resource, personal resource, and affect management. Identity goals are based on the individual's self-concept. Conversation management goals pertain to how the individual behaves around others. Relational resource goals depend on the individual's value of relationships. Personal resource goals focus on the physical and material well-being of the individual. Affect management goals pertain to managing emotions and feelings during a conversation.

Plans Plans exist at two levels: strategic and tactical. Strategic plans indicate what should be accomplished. Tactical plans indicate how that will be done. The strategies are general while the tactics are specific. Influence plans include guidelines for verbal and non-verbal communication. Based on strategic communication theory, an individual searches for preexisting templates to adapt current situation. An example of a strategic plan might be to ask for help, while a tactical plan would be to list out your previous attempts and explain what you aren't able to do.

Action In this theory, action can be taken through both verbal and non-verbal messages. There are four dimensions of actions: explicitness, dominance, argument, and control over outcomes. Explicitness refers to how clear the message is. The easier the message is to understand, the better the results are likely to be. Dominance refers to the amount of control the individual has over the other. The more power they have, the more likely they are to get what they want. Argument refers to the justification behind the message. The better the reasoning, the better the chances of accomplishing their goal(s). Control over outcomes refers to how much say the individual has in what happens next. The more jurisdiction they have, the more likely they are to see their intended results.

Applications

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Goals, plans, action theory

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Goals, plans, action theory claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Goals, plans, action theory before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Goals, plans, action theory ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Goals, plans, action theory

In research: Goals, plans, action theory appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Goals, plans, action theory in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Goals, plans, action theory is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Communication studies, Communication theory, Interpersonal communication, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Goals, plans, action theory outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Goals, plans, action theory in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Goals, plans, action theory means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Goals, plans, action theory out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Goals, plans, action theory in simple terms?

The Goals, Plans, Action theory explains how people use influence over others to accomplish their goals. This theory is prominent in the field of interpersonal communication.

Why does Goals, plans, action theory matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Goals, plans, action theory?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Goals, plans, action theory.