Taylor S E, Pham L B, Rivkin I D, Armor D A
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1563, USA.
Am Psychol. 1998 Apr;53(4):429-39. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.53.4.429.
Mental simulation provides a window on the future by enabling people to envision possibilities and develop plans for bringing those possibilities about. In moving oneself from a current situation toward an envisioned future one, the anticipation and management of emotions and the initiation and maintenance of problem-solving activities are fundamental tasks. In the program of research described in this article, mental simulation of the process for reaching a goal or of the dynamics of an unfolding stressful event produced progress in achieving those goals or resolving those events. Envisioning successful completion of a goal or resolution of a stressor--recommendations derived from the self-help literature--did not. Discussion centers on the characteristics of effective and ineffective mental simulations and their relation to self-regulatory processes.
心理模拟为人们展望未来提供了一扇窗口，它使人们能够设想各种可能性，并制定实现这些可能性的计划。在将自身从当前状况转变为预想的未来状况的过程中，对情绪的预期与管理以及问题解决活动的启动与维持是基本任务。在本文所描述的研究项目中，对实现目标的过程或不断展开的压力事件的动态进行心理模拟，能在实现这些目标或解决这些事件方面取得进展。而预想目标的成功达成或压力源的解决——这是从自助文献中得出的建议——却无法做到这一点。讨论集中在有效和无效心理模拟的特征及其与自我调节过程的关系上。
