The motivating function of thinking about the future: expectations versus fantasies.
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.
Oettingen
Gabriele
G
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York 10003, USA. gabriele.oettingen@nyu.edu
Mayer
Doris
D
D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking