Mental Contrasting and the Self-Regulation of Helping Relations

Abstract

While mental contrasting of positive future and negative reality promotes commitment to feasible goals, it has not been tested whether it also promotes the choice of suitable means. In two studies we examined the effects of mental contrasting (Oettingen, 2000) on seeking and giving help as means to an end. For college-age students, mental contrasting about attaining academic help led to expectancy-dependent commitment to seek help (Study 1), while for critical care nurses, mental contrasting about helping patients' relatives led to expectancy-dependent commitment to give help (Study 2). Results speak to two neglected topics: The self-regulation of selecting means to goals and the self-regulation of helping relations.