In particular, fresh starts are most effective, they suggest, when a person experiences failure before the restart, like how a failed diet plan in the month of December prompts the need for a kale-only food plan starting Jan 1. But the evidence of this paper is showing that fresh starts should be avoided if a person’s past performance was successful.

The researchers prediction: If a restart is used incorrectly, as when past performance is good, it will only hinder future goal-directed behavior.

The studies and findings

There were four experiments. In the first, participants took part in 10 one-minute word games where they were paid for every word they generated correctly. Halfway through, they received feedback. To manipulate the fresh start, the experimental group had a reset applied with the last 5 rounds scored from zero (offering a new starting point). The control group received the same continuous scoring throughout all 10 rounds.

The second study had participants use a performance tracking app. They were asked to focus on a habit they wanted to improve and to imagine using the app to get them there. Resets were applied to all participants. But half of them assigned to a “weak performance group” were led to believe they were performing poorly, while the other half assigned to a “strong performance group” were led to believe they were performing well.

In both these first two studies, a questionnaire measured participants’ motivation and self-efficacy, in addition to performance metrics. In both instances, the only people who benefited from the performance resets were the ones who had (or led to believe they had) been performing less well. And the resets actually hindered the performance of those who been doing well previously.