Want to boost your chances of achieving a goal? Research shows it matters whom you tell. In a series of studies, experts found that sharing goals with someone perceived as higher status increased commitment and success rates. Telling lower-status individuals or keeping goals private offered no benefit.
Among working adults, those who confided career goals to higher-status contacts showed stronger dedication to their objectives.
In one experiment, 171 undergraduates used computers to slide a marker to 50 as many times as possible within a time limit. After an initial round, they set and wrote down a personal goal for the next attempt.
A lab assistant then reviewed their targets. The assistant's persona varied: in one version, dressed in a suit and presented as a business school doctoral student and topic expert—seen as higher status by participants. In another, casually dressed as a local college student working part-time—rated lower status. A third group shared with no one.
Participants who shared with the higher-status assistant reported greater commitment. They also outperformed others. Those sharing with the lower-status assistant matched the private group's results.
Another study measured 'evaluation apprehension'—concern for the assistant's opinion. Greater concern, especially with higher-status figures, correlated with higher engagement and achievement.
A semester-long study tracked 292 college students with challenging end-of-term goals. Those sharing with higher-status individuals demonstrated more engagement and success than those confiding in lower-status peers.
