Mental Contrasting and Transfer of Energization

A. Timur Sevincer, P. Daniel Busatta, Gabriele Oettingen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Mental contrasting a desired future with present reality is a self-regulation strategy that fosters energization in line with a person's expectations of successfully attaining the desired future. We investigated whether physiological energization (measured by systolic blood pressure) elicited by mental contrasting a desired future of solving a given task transfers to effort in an unrelated task. As predicted, mental contrasting a desired future of excelling in an intelligence test (Study 1) and of writing an excellent essay (Study 2) triggered changes in energization that translated into physical effort in squeezing a handgrip (Study 1) and translated into mental effort in writing a get-well letter (Study 2). Results suggest that mental contrasting of solving one task triggers energization that may fuel effort for performing an unrelated task. Implications for intervention research are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)139-152
Number of pages14
JournalPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Volume40
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2014

Keywords

  • effort
  • energization
  • expectations
  • mental contrasting
  • performance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology

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