Motivation and Self-Regulation for Sustainability

Why is it sometimes so hard for people to act in the way they would like to act? To eat less meat or sugar, quit smoking, go jogging, or take the bike rather than the car? Why do some people give up their goals easily? How can people restrain unwanted impulses? Most people struggle with regularly exerting such self-regulation at least in some domains, including engaging in pro-environmental behaviors, adhering to a healthy diet and daily routine, reducing prejudices toward outgroups, and controlling emotions as well as cigarette and alcohol consumption. People also differ enormously in their ability to succeed in such self-regulation.

Self-regulation refers to people’s capacity to alter their thoughts, emotions, impulses, and behavior in the service of long-term goals. Regardless of what the goal is, effective self-regulation is often necessary to overcome obstacles, resist temptations, and initiate and habitually maintain goal-directed behavior. Therefore, teaching people effective self-regulation can also aid making progress in domains targeted by the 17 U.N. sustainability goals as for example, responsible consumption, good health and well-being, climate action, and preserving biodiversity on land and water.

In my research, I focus on how the self-regulation strategy of mentally contrasting a desired future with present reality can be used to help people make progress toward such goals, and how one can promote the use of mental contrasting itself. Specifically, I investigate the effects and mechanisms of mental contrasting in various domains as well as when people spontaneously apply mental contrasting and who is most likely to apply it (together with Prof. Gabriele Oettingen; New York University).