goalattainment

Goal attainment, in the context of psychology and rehabilitation, refers to the extent to which agreed-upon objectives or goals are achieved during or after an intervention. A prominent method for measuring goal attainment is Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), which uses individualized goals developed collaboratively by a client and a practitioner.

In GAS, each goal is described with a specific, observable outcome and rated on a five-point scale from -2 to +2. A score of 0 represents the expected level of achievement, while -2 and +2 represent outcomes far below or far beyond expectations, respectively. Goals may be weighted to reflect their importance or difficulty. After an intervention, the ratings are often converted into a standardized GAS T-score (mean around 50, standard deviation around 10), enabling comparison across individuals or programs while preserving the personalized nature of the goals.

GAS offers several advantages. It is highly individualized, sensitive to small but meaningful changes, and applicable across diverse domains such as mental health, education, and rehabilitation. It supports client-centered planning and can be used in single-subject designs as well as larger studies.

Implementation requires careful goal formulation, rater training, and clear anchors to minimize subjectivity and bias. Goals should be specific, measurable, and time-bound to enhance reliability. Limitations include potential inter-rater variability and challenges in comparing results across studies with very different goal sets. Despite these considerations, GAS remains a flexible tool for capturing outcomes that matter most to clients.