Self-regulation of commitment to reduce cigarette consumption: Mental contrasting of future with reality |
| |
| Authors: | Gabriele Oettingen Doris Mayer Jennifer Thorpe |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Psychology Department , New York University , 6 Washington Place, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003, USA;2. Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg , Hamburg, Germany gabriele.oettingen@nyu.edu;4. Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg , Hamburg, Germany;5. Psychology Department , New York University , 6 Washington Place, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | The model of fantasy realisation (Oettingen, 2000 Oettingen, G. 2000. Expectancy effects on behavior depend on self-regulatory thought. Social Cognition, 18: 101–129. Crossref], Web of Science ®] , Google Scholar]) specifies mental contrasting of a positive future with negative reality as a strategy that creates strong goal commitments. We propose that fantasies about a positive and negative future produce strong goal commitments when contrasted with the respective reality. The present study supports this hypothesis in the area of reducing cigarette consumption. Mental contrasting of a positive future with negative reality as well as mental contrasting of a negative future with positive reality led to taking immediate action when participants had high expectations of success. Results indicate that both fantasies about a positive future and a negative future can be used to commit to goals that benefit health and prevent disease. |
| |
| Keywords: | smoking reduction mental contrasting goal commitment self-regulation fantasies expectations |
|
|
