A goal- centered, self- regulatory model of motivation and its relevance for advancing the study of chronic pain

This chapter presents an account of goal constructs and of self-regulatory processes as critical mediators and/or moderators of chronic pain's effects on diverse aspects of human performance and adjustment. The joint influence of goal cognition and the assorted mechanisms of self-regulation provides a unique platform for adaptive failure or vulnerability when operating at low levels of effectiveness and efficiency, and for adaptive resilience when functioning at its peak. Organized around a motivational model dubbed the Goal-Centered, Self-Regulatory, Automated, Social Systems Psychology (GRASSP) perspective, the chapter considers the nature, functioning, and measurement of goals and a variety of potentially supportive regulatory mechanisms. Illustrating the explanatory and heuristic potency of a motivational framework, the chapter addresses both the deleterious effects of persistent pain on goal-related thinking and striving and the facilitative role of effective goal-based self-regulation in maintaining day-to-day performance and well-being in the face of chronic pain.