From Fantasy to Action: Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) Improves Academic Performance in Children.

Abstract in brief

• The study tested whether a goal-setting strategy called Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII), which involves visualizing positive future outcomes while identifying obstacles and planning specific steps to overcome them, can help economically disadvantaged children improve their school performance.
• Seventy-seven fifth graders were divided into two groups: one learned MCII techniques, and the other learned positive thinking. The children who learned MCII showed significant improvements in report card grades, attendance, and conduct compared to the control group.
• These results indicate that MCII can be an effective tool for helping underprivileged middle school students turn their positive thoughts into actionable steps, leading to better academic success.]