Mental contrasting

Mental contrasting (MC) is a problem-solving strategy and motivational tool that leads to selective behavior modification. It was introduced by psychologist Gabriele Oettingen in 2001.
Mental contrasting is a problem-solving strategy and motivational tool that leads to selective behavior modification. The strategy as been covered by numerous newspapers and in the media: The New York Times, The Huffington Post,The Wall Street Journal(blog),Fox Business, among others. In mental contrasting individuals first positively fantasize about a wished for future (e.g., solve an ongoing interpersonal conflict) and then mentally elaborate the current reality that stands in the way of realizing the envisioned future (e.g., shyness). Imagining the future and then imagining real-life obstacles reveal that in order to realize the wished for future one has to act on the current reality (e.g., to solve the interpersonal conflict one needs to overcome the present shyness). As a consequence, expectations of overcoming the obstacle determine one’s behavior: high expectations lead to increased effort and more success and low expectations lead to decreased effort and less success. The latter helps people disengage from unrealistic wishes and free up resources for other goals.
Mental contrasting mechanisms
To explain the effects of mental contrasting on behavior change, research has posited three different mechanisms: cognitive changes, motivational changes, and people’s response to negative feedback. Mental contrasting also seems to change the meaning of current reality: Only when expectations are high is the current reality interpreted as an obstacle (e.g., the party on Saturday is an obstacle to obtaining the desired high grade). All these cognitive processes seem to occur outside of awareness and mediate the effects of mental contrasting on behavior modification.
Motivational changes: Mental contrasting seems to energize people (as shown by physiological indicators) when expectations are high; when expectations are low, people become less energized. Other modes of thought (such as indulging in positive fantasies or dwelling on obstacles) produce no change in physiological indicators of energization. Changes in energization mediate the effects of mental contrasting on behavior change.
Response to negative feedback: Mental contrasting seems to help people process the useful information in negative feedback, which in turn may inspire them to form plans for implementing behavior change. Mental contrasting also appears to protect a person's sense of competence and encourages optimistic attributions for experienced set-backs.
Theoretical background
Fantasy realization theory
Besides mental contrasting, fantasy realization theory specifies two additional modes of thought: solely thinking about the positive future (indulging) or solely thinking about current, real-life obstacles (dwelling). Implementation intentions are "if-then plans" that specify the when, where and how portions of goal-directed behavior. Salient obstacles to goal-directed behavior that have been identified using mental contrasting can be addressed with if-then plans that link the obstacle (in the if-part) with actions to overcome the obstacle (in the then-part). academic performance, and management of interpersonal conflict.
WOOP
WOOP is an acronym for four steps to combine mental contrasting with implementation intentions. Mental contrasting contributes the "WOO" part (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle) in WOOP, whereas implementation intentions contribute the "P" part (Plan).
The WOOP strategy contains four steps:
#Wish: The first step is to name an important but feasible wish or goal that one would like to fulfill.
#Outcome: The second step is to identify and imagine the positive future outcome of fulfilling this wish or goal.
#Obstacle: The third step is to identify and imagine the most critical personal obstacle that stands in the way of fulfillment of this wish or goal.
#Plan: The fourth step is to specify a plan to effect desired behaviors. It takes the form of "if arises... then I will ."
WOOP is time- and cost-effective to teach and can be applied to issues from any life domain (interpersonal, academic, professional, health). It can be used for goals that are small or large, short-term or long-term. in another study, disadvantaged elementary- and middle-school children improved their school performance; in another study, middle-aged, overweight fishermen of low socioeconomic status engaged in more physical activity. In a standard dyadic negotiation game, mental-contrasting participants found more integrative solutions than indulging, dwelling, and control participants, and were fairer to their partners. Importantly, using mental contrasting in one domain appeared to help behavior change in other domains. Students who used mental contrasting in order to consume fewer calories over the course of two weeks not only consumed fewer calories but also increased their physical activity.

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