Mental Contrasting allows us to face the possibilities of negative encounters rather than shunning away from them. The component of expectation and success is also crucial for implementing the method, and no doubt Mental Contrasting can be a solid mantra for goal commitment and wholesome positive living – making the most of our cognition, perception, and action. Do you have questions about WOOP? 6. Pick the most effective path you could take for each identified obstacle. Let us have a quick look at how much they share in common and how widely they differ from each other. Dr. Gabriele Oettingen suggested that the most vital component of a successful Mental Contrasting session is strong expectations of success. The final stage of Mental Contrasting is where we do the decision-making and planning of actions. 3. She further said that it is natural for everyone to want the best for themselves and not be happy when something goes wrong. Oettingen, Gabriele & Mayer, Doris & Sevincer, A. Timur & Stephens, Elizabeth & Pak, Hyeon-ju & Hagenah, Meike. While some studies have suggested its reliability, some findings are vague and still under review. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Still, we have relevant data and research findings to support that such visualizations can prove to be more effective for preparing clients to deal with stress single-handedly. *In research, WOOP is usually examined under the scientific term Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions, abbreviated MCII. The questionable long-term effectiveness of Mental Contrasting. To take steps towards an exciting future goal, you need energy. We'll also add you to the Mindful Ambition email community. 2010). But it might not be enough to get you past the inevitable roadblocks that will pop up along the way. When chances of success arelow, people can use Mental Contrast to move on to more feasible goals. (2010)). But the research doesn’t stop there! Imageries of what would happen once he gets a new job (I am back on my feet/ I am happy/I can take care of my family). Reflect on the goal that you ranked as one, i.e., the most crucial objective of your life at the moment. Applying WOOP in your own life is a straightforward process. If there are multiple goals, prioritize and list them rank-wise, keeping the most important objective at the first rank, and the least essential goal at last. For each obstacle, make an “If…then” plan. This study aimed to prove that mental contrasting is a self-regulatory strategy that leads to goal commitment by balancing the present reality with the future desired state. (2009): Mental Contrasting and Goal Commitment: The Mediating Role of Energization. Now think about all the good things that you believe would come to you when you have achieved it. It does not understand long-term goals and achievements – all it wants is to stay healthy and happy at any given moment. But there are a couple extra steps involved to effectively use your dreams as fuel. Of course, we have the power – the power of thinking, feeling, and rationalizing; a strength we owe to our highly evolved brains and a skill that is unique to us. Learnt a lot reading it. Recent studies have shown that people who practiced mental contrasting during therapy or in other settings had better eating habits than others, had fewer complaints of chronic pain, and could sustain relationships for longer (Stadler et al., 2009, 2010; Houssais et al., 2013; Christiansen et al., 2010). Involves self-awareness and unconditional self-acceptance. Adriaanse, M. A., Oettingen, G., Gollwitzer, P. M., Hennes, E. P., de Ridder, D. T., & De Wit, J. Describe it in 3-6 words. The way it shifts the energy from thoughts to actions and goal-planning is commendable and helpful for reaching desired life goals. Since dreaming alone wasn’t enough to help people actualize their potential, Oettingen moved onto a new hypothesis, which she dubbed “Mental Contrasting.”, “I reasoned that the best way to get people up and moving was to ask them to dream and then to confront them right away with the realities that stood in the way of their dreams…If I could ground fantasies in a reality through mental contrasting, I might be able to circumvent the calming effects of dreaming and mobilize dreams as a tool for prompting directed action.”~ Gabrielle Oettingen, Rethinking Positive Thinking. Implementation Intentions help us do that by creating specific plans for what we’ll do in the event that we hit an obstacle. This study was conducted across a range of clients, including students and nurses, and the results were evaluated two weeks post-intervention. Success! Instead of getting upset about that fact of life, we can embrace reality and figure out how to work with it! Oettingen, Marquardt, Gollwitzer (2012): Mental contrasting turns positive feedback on creative potential into successful performance. Visualize the big and small difficulties, write them down, and imagine the ways you can address these issues and overcome them. Some research suggests that our subconscious mind works within a short time-span. The study established the role of mental contrasting in increasing creativity and performance drive among participants and was validated with reliable findings later. It is a more realistic and practical approach. Here are some recent investigations on Mental Contrasting that shed meaningful light into its effectiveness as a psychological intervention. What might you do to get around the most significant obstacles you identified? You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.Link to read me page with more information. Imageries about what he might have to go through to get there (Appear for interviews/ search for jobs which can be stressful and time-taking/face rejections). There are some solid grounds on which we can compare the concepts of Positive Thinking and Mental Contrasting. WOOP (wish, outcome, obstacle, plan) is a practical, accessible, evidence-based motivational strategy developed by Gabriele Oettingen that people can use to find and fulfill their goals, and change their habits across different areas of life. For example, think about people who may criticize you or actions and exercises that can be incredibly hard to accomplish. Stadler, G., Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. (2011): Physical Activity in Women: Effects of a Self-Regulation Intervention. If we think of imagery that is reality-bound and solution-focused to the core, then Mental Contrasting is the best answer that we have got. (Oettingen, Marquardt, Gollwitzer). Mental Contrasting works hand-in-hand with Implementation intentions to create an even more powerful tool. Put yourself into that situation. By filling out your name and email address below. CBT Explained: An Overview and Summary of CBT, What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? Researchers suggest that the fourth stage of Mental Contrasting is where the real shift of energy takes place, and we work on reflecting our thoughts into action. Then shift gears. 2010). The stronger the desire, the higher are the efforts. 2. For example, if a person who is fired from his job wants to start over in a new city, his mental contrasting scenarios would include: Mental Contrasting, therefore, is a more realistic and solution-focused thinking process where we prepare the mind to see both the good and bad and choose our actions accordingly. Mental Contrasting + Implementation Intentions = WOOP! Registration Number: 64733564 (2010). Let the associated feelings wash over you. This article is about one such alternative processes to positive thinking called Mental Contrasting. This stage is about focusing on all possible hurdles that you most likely have to go through. (e.g. Mental Contrasting helped people disengage from unfeasible goalslike rehabilitating an ended relationship or achieving an unattainable professional identity. B. As a result, we fall into a vicious cycle of feeling good and bad. Mental Contrasting is a visualization tool that takes us to where we want to be by reflecting on the pros and cons of the pathway. She said: “ Think of a wish. Here is a brief overview of how Oettingen’s model of Mental Contrasting would look in real settings: Take a moment to reflect on the things that you want to achieve at present. Help clients with substance abuse disorders to control their impulses and stick to the treatment plans. The process involves consciously reflecting ‘only’ on the positive thoughts and outcomes of any life incident. Since then, Mental Contrasting has been a significant area of research in mental health and social sciences. Healthy visualization techniques used in positive psychology and other mental health sciences. Mental contrasting somehow connects the future and current reality in your subconscious mind. Do yourself a favor, and give it a try today. WOOP is a scientifically proven tool that helps us change our behaviors for the better and achieve our goals. For example, it has been shown to: *In research, WOOP is usually examined under the scientific term Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions, abbreviated MCII. Please try again. The best part about WOOP, aside from being scientifically validated, is that it’s applicable to goals in all areas of life! She specialized in optimizing mental health and is an experienced teacher and school counselor. Here’s why this is great: Oettingen, one of the world’s leading researchers on motivation, has been studying the impact of dreams on motivation since the early 1990’s. Practicing the WOOP technique helps to cement mental contrasting which is what creates within us the associative links between a wish and an outcome, and a wish and an obstacle. In the beginning, her hunch was that people would be more successful at achieving their wishes if they purposefully spent time dreaming about it. With positive thinking and imagination, we give the subconscious a temporary feeling of ‘everything is okay,’ which explains the immediate motivation surge that comes with the practice. When your wish is attainable and realistic, the future and present reality become fused together on a subconscious level. The process is limited to thoughts and may or may not guide actions. Mental Contrasting is a visualization tool that takes us to where we want to be by reflecting on the pros and cons of the pathway. Feel free to send us a message! It stands for W ish, O utcome, O bstacle, and P lan. “If [obstacle occurs] then I will [plan 1].”). It should arrive soon! Although there is a lot to be researched, we have multiple reasons to believe in its realism and applicability. The outcome is the ideal state that we wish to achieve at the end.