Needs Find a Way: Means-Shifts, Domain Jumps, and Leaps of Faith

How do people find alternative means to satisfy unmet needs? Current research mainly focuses on how people shift between means within a single goal domain. Yet, based on the principles of goal systems theory, the authors theorize that people can look beyond their current goal domain and “jump” to other, seemingly dissociated goal domains that serve the same need, or take a “leap” of faith to novel pursuits that are only indirectly associated with need fulfillment. These three mechanisms-means-shifts, domain jumps, and leaps of faith-follow a theoretical assumption that superordinate wants and needs are embedded in a broader associative network, comprised of multiple goal networks that are disconnected from each other but are nevertheless indirectly associated through a common need they serve. Hence, if a proximal means-shift is not instrumental, people can shift upward, to the need level, to find more remote alternatives associated with the need.