A coach encourages a person to run five miles in ten minutes and provides the person a stopwatch to check periodically. The person completes the run in 98 minutes. Considering the goal-setting theory of motivation, which two factors explain why the person achieved the goal? Options:

While challenge can be a motivating factor, it is not the primary reason for achieving the goal in this scenario. Encouragement from the coach may provide support, but without a specific goal and feedback mechanism, the person may not effectively gauge their progress or stay motivated throughout the attempt.

Specificity is indeed a crucial factor that clarifies the goal of running five miles in a set time. However, encouragement alone does not provide the necessary feedback to inform the person how they are progressing towards that specific goal. Feedback from the stopwatch is essential for tracking performance.

Direction refers to having a clear goal, which is present in this scenario. However, while the challenge of running the distance in a short time might motivate some individuals, it does not directly contribute to the person’s ability to monitor their progress effectively. Without feedback, the direction alone may not improve performance.