The importance of velocity, or why speed may matter more than distance

Theory and research on self-regulation emphasizes the importance of goals for guiding human behavior. Critical phenomena within the self-regulation literature are discrepancies between actual states and goal states. When such discrepancies are detected, they capture attention and effort is mobilized to move actual states closer to goal states (or in some cases align the latter with the former). While discrepancy feedback, or the distance between actual and goal states, is important, so too is velocity feedback, or the rate at which actual–goal discrepancies are decreasing. Unfortunately, research has mostly ignored the role played by velocity in the self-regulation process. To redress this limitation, we review the concept of velocity, the empirical studies that have examined this concept, and how velocity is commonly measured. We then discuss the role of velocity as it pertains to three self-regulatory functions at work: achieving performance goals, satisfying belonging needs, and satisfying esteem needs.