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Published on: August 6, 2013
Self-regulation of commitment to reduce cigarette consumption: mental contrasting of future with reality
Gabriele Oettingen1, Doris Mayer, Jennifer Thorpe
1Psychology Department, New York University, 6 Washington Place, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003, USA. gabriele.oettingen@nyu.edu
Abstract:
The model of fantasy realisation (Oettingen, 2000) 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.
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