Development and initial validation of the Daily Goal Realization Scale

BACKGROUND: This paper presents the results of three studies allowing the design and initial validation of the Daily Goal Realization Scale (DGRS). Goal realization refers to the engagement in goal-directed behavior that leads to progress in personal goal attainment; it is considered one of the adaptive personal characteristics. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: Three studies, including an initial study to develop and select the items (Study 1), an intensive longitudinal study (Study 2), and a multiple goal evaluation study (Study 3), tested factorial structure, reliability and validity of the measure. RESULTS: Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional structure of the DGRS (obtained in Study 1) both at the individual and goal level, captured as daily goal realization (Study 2) and as multiple goal realization (Study 3). The validity of the DGRS was supported by meaningful associations with other goal evaluations (Study 3). As expected, the DGRS was positively related to evaluations of progress in goal achievement, engagement, likelihood of success, and goal importance. The DGRS also demonstrated measurement invariance allowing for meaningful comparisons of scores between men and women. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the DGRS is a brief and reliable idiographic measure of daily goal realization. The scale has excellent internal consistency and good criterion validity.