Synthesizing the effects of mental simulation on behavior change: Systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Mental simulation of future scenarios is hypothesized to affect future behavior, but a large and inconsistent literature means it is unclear whether, and under what conditions, mental simulation can change people's behavior. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the effects of mental simulation on behavior and examine under what conditions mental simulation works best. An inclusive systematic database search identified 123 (N = 5,685) effect sizes comparing mental simulation to a control group. After applying a multilevel random effects model, a statistically-reliable positive effect of Hedges' g = 0.49, 95% CI [0.37; 0.62] was found, which was significantly different than zero. Using a taxonomy to identify different subtypes of mental simulation (along two dimensions, class [process

SUBMITTER: Cole SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8500882 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature