Mental Contrasting and Transfer of Energization. (February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sevincer, A. Timur; Busatta, P. Daniel; Oettingen, Gabriele
• Is Part Of: Personality & social psychology bulletin. Volume 40:Number 2(2014:Feb.)
• Page Start: 139
• Page End: 152
• Publication Date: 2014-02
• Subjects: mental contrasting -- expectations -- energization -- effort -- performance; Personality -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1177/0146167213507088
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0146-1672

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.