Mental Simulation and the Achievement of Health Goals: The Role of Goal Difficulty

Abstract

The present study examined whether performing mental simulation fosters the achievement of personal health-related goals. College students were asked to choose either an easy or a difficult health goal. In addition, they were either assigned to a process simulation condition (simulating the steps to the goal), an outcome simulation condition (simulating the achievement of the goal), or to a passive control condition. Results indicated that both types of mental simulation enhanced the achievement of health-related goals, and proved especially effective at difficult goals. Given an easy goal, it did not make a difference if participants had performed mental simulations or not. The effect of mental simulation on the achievement of difficult health goals was mediated by enhanced motivation.