Goal characteristics predict the occurrence of goal-related events through belief in future occurrence

Belief in occurrence; Episodic future thinking; Goal pursuit; Personal goals; Experimental and Cognitive Psychology; Developmental and Educational Psychology; Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

Abstract :

[en] While previous studies have highlighted the role of episodic future thinking in goal pursuit, the underlying cognitive mechanisms remain unexplored. Episodic future thinking may promote goal pursuit by shaping the feeling that imagined events will (or will not) happen in the future - referred to as belief in future occurrence. We investigated whether goal self-concordance (Experiment 1) and other goal characteristics identified as influential in goal pursuit (Experiment 2) modulate belief in the future occurrence of goal-related events and predict the actual occurrence of these events. Results showed that goal self-concordance, engagement, and expectancy had an indirect effect on the actual occurrence of events, which was (partially) mediated by belief in future occurrence. The mediating role of belief supports the view that belief in future occurrence when imagining events conveys useful information, allowing us to make informed decisions and undertake adaptive actions in the process of goal pursuit.

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology

Author, co-author :

Garcia Jimenez, Claudia ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie

D'Argembeau, Arnaud ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie

Language :

English

Title :

Goal characteristics predict the occurrence of goal-related events through belief in future occurrence

Publication date :

06 February 2024

Journal title :

Consciousness and Cognition

ISSN :

1053-8100

eISSN :

1090-2376

Publisher :

Academic Press Inc., United States

Volume :

119

Pages :

103649

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1053810024000163?httpAccept=text/xml

Funding text :

Arnaud D'Argembeau is a Research Director of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Belgium. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Available on ORBi :

since 23 February 2024

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