Abstract
Two forms of thinking about the future are distinguished: expectations versus fantasies. Positive expectations (judging a desired future as likely) predicted high effort and successful performance, but the reverse was true for positive fantasies (experiencing one's thoughts and mental images about a desired future positively). Participants were graduates looking for a job (Study 1), students with a crush on a peer of the opposite sex (Study 2), undergraduates anticipating an exam (Study 3), and patients undergoing hip-replacement surgery (Study 4). Effort and performance were measured weeks or months (up to 2 years) after expectations and fantasies had been assessed. Implications for the self-regulation of effort and performance are discussed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1198-1212 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2002 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
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The motivating function of thinking about the future : Expectations versus fantasies. / Oettingen, Gabriele; Mayer, Doris.
In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 83, No. 5, 11.2002, p. 1198-1212.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The motivating function of thinking about the future
T2 - Expectations versus fantasies
AU - Oettingen, Gabriele
AU - Mayer, Doris
PY - 2002/11
Y1 - 2002/11
N2 - Two forms of thinking about the future are distinguished: expectations versus fantasies. Positive expectations (judging a desired future as likely) predicted high effort and successful performance, but the reverse was true for positive fantasies (experiencing one's thoughts and mental images about a desired future positively). Participants were graduates looking for a job (Study 1), students with a crush on a peer of the opposite sex (Study 2), undergraduates anticipating an exam (Study 3), and patients undergoing hip-replacement surgery (Study 4). Effort and performance were measured weeks or months (up to 2 years) after expectations and fantasies had been assessed. Implications for the self-regulation of effort and performance are discussed.
AB - Two forms of thinking about the future are distinguished: expectations versus fantasies. Positive expectations (judging a desired future as likely) predicted high effort and successful performance, but the reverse was true for positive fantasies (experiencing one's thoughts and mental images about a desired future positively). Participants were graduates looking for a job (Study 1), students with a crush on a peer of the opposite sex (Study 2), undergraduates anticipating an exam (Study 3), and patients undergoing hip-replacement surgery (Study 4). Effort and performance were measured weeks or months (up to 2 years) after expectations and fantasies had been assessed. Implications for the self-regulation of effort and performance are discussed.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036835169&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037//0022-3514.83.5.1198
DO - 10.1037//0022-3514.83.5.1198
M3 - Article
C2 - 12416922
VL - 83
SP - 1198
EP - 1212
JO - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
SN - 0022-3514
IS - 5
ER -