7.4.12 Protecting Goal Theory from Materialists
In the 1970s, behaviorists attempted to incorporate goal setting into their domain by relabeling the goal setting process. Thus, goals were labeled as ‘‘controlling’’ or ‘‘discriminative’’ stimuli, and feedback was alleged to be a ‘‘reinforcer.’’ They denied that how goals function depends on mental processes. They unsuccessfully attempted to externalize what is, in reality, internal (Locke, 1977).