The aim of the present study was to identify conditions under which positive goal imagery (i.e., imagining the successful attainment of a desired personal goal) leads to decreased motivation to pursue a goal. Students who had to take an important exam within the next 12 months either imagined achieving a high grade, or reflected on their current situation of not yet having passed the exam, or contrasted positive goal imagery with reflections on reality. Following the imagery exercise, students rated which grade they actually expected to attain. Time spent studying a guideline for effective preparation for exams served as a behavioral indicator of motivation. Results indicate that positive goal imagery raised grade expectations in individuals low (but not in those high) in fear of failure. Also, individuals low in fear of failure showed a low level of motivation after contrasting positive goal imagery with reality, while individuals high in fear of failure were least motivated to prepare for the exam after imagining successful goal attainment. The discussion addresses mechanisms which might mediate these effects and specifies the types of goals these effects may be limited to.
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