Abstract

The objective of the present study was to collect descriptive information about the types and the number of goals that become unattainable across age. It was hypothesized that having many unattainable goals represents a risk factor for reduced well-being. It was also expected that disengagement and reengagement moderate the relationship between the number of unattainable goals and well-being. Finally, this study intended to replicate a three-way interaction between disengagement, reengagement, and age. Specifically, among older adults, disengagement was expected to be adaptive only if individuals are able to reengage in new goals. 150 participants between the ages of 18 to 85 completed a questionnaire about unattainable goals, goal management tendencies, and subjective well-being. The results demonstrated that unattainable goals were most frequently classified into the work/education domain. Older adults reported fewer unattainable goals in comparison to younger adults, and they confronted more unattainable health goals, and fewer unattainable work/education goals. Having many unattainable goals was related to reduced well-being, and this relationship was moderated by disengagement. A significant three-way interaction replicated different interaction effects of disengagement and reengagement on well-being in different age groups.