کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
948274 | 926460 | 2012 | 8 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |

The self-regulatory strategy of mental contrasting a desired future with obstacles of reality instigates goal-directed behavior when expectations of success are high and curbs goal-directed behavior when expectations are low (Oettingen, 2000). Two studies show that mental contrasting paired with high expectations of success creates strong associations between obstacles of reality and behavior instrumental to overcome these obstacles; mental contrasting paired with low expectations of success leads to weak associations. Reverse contrasting and irrelevant content control conditions did not produce expectancy-dependent associations between obstacle and instrumental behavior. Importantly, the strength of these associations mediated mental contrasting effects on goal-directed behavior (Study 2).
► We studied how thinking about the future instigates relevant behavior .
► Integrating obstacles into future thinking increases relevant behavior.
► Behavior was in turn instigated by automatic obstacle–behavior associations.
► Studies highlight the importance of obstacles for goal-relevant behavior.
Journal: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology - Volume 48, Issue 4, July 2012, Pages 811–818