From Thought to Action: Effects of Process-Versus Outcome-Based Mental Simulations on Performance
Lien Pham and Shelley Taylor compared two kinds of mental simulation. College freshmen spent the days before a midterm exam simulating the process of studying for it, the outcome of getting a good grade, both, or neither, with a self-monitoring task as the control. Simulating the process increased studying and improved grades, and the improvement in grades was mediated by better planning and lower anxiety.
Lien Pham and Shelley Taylor compared two kinds of mental simulation. College freshmen spent the days before a midterm exam simulating the process of studying for it, the outcome of getting a good grade, both, or neither, with a self-monitoring task as the control. Simulating the process increased studying and improved grades, and the improvement in grades was mediated by better planning and lower anxiety.
Written from the abstract and publisher page summary read 2026-10-22 (SAGE).
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Pham, L. B., & Taylor, S. E. (1999). From thought to action: Effects of process- versus outcome-based mental simulations on performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(2), 250-260. doi:10.1177/0146167299025002010