The goal of the current project is to verify the new theory of commitment. Specifically,
despite the fact that in the past it has been treated as unitary construct, we propose to distinguish
two aspects of commitment: initiation and maintenance of commitment. We will verify the
hypothesis that initiation and maintenance are two separate factors with different antecedents and
consequences. Specifically, we want to investigate in greater depth the consequences of initiation
and maintenance of commitment for a variety of motivational outcomes such as characteristics of
a goal system (e.g. goal conflict), as well as the temporal dynamics of motivation (e.g. goal
gradient). In addition, we aim to demonstrate the distinction between initiation and maintenance
with regard to unconscious goal pursuit. Moreover, we suggest that dispositional and situational
variables that foster the initiation of commitment are not necessary the same variables that affect
its maintenance. The second objective of the proposed project is to investigate the psychological
antecedents of initiation and maintenance of commitment, that transcend the specific
characteristics of a given goal. The second part of our project is focused on such factors. We
propose that people initiate commitments because making any new commitment satisfies two
needs: the need for novelty and the need for agency. Furthermore, we propose that people
maintain existing commitments because they satisfy the need for consistency and the need for
belonging.