Psychologists from the Universities of Wolverhampton and Sheffield have found that if you say to yourself the phrase “I can do it better,” you can really improve your ability and effectively complete any task. The article was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
The scientists decided to test whether various motivational techniques actually work. The experiments were attended by 44 thousand people. The volunteers were divided into 12 groups. The participants' task was to click as quickly as possible on the numbers in order from 1 to 36, which were randomly distributed in a square grid.
Researchers have identified what could help people improve their online gaming performance. Tricks tested included talking to oneself, visualizing a future outcome, and planning actions that might follow the desired outcome.
It found that participants who told themselves they could do better the next time did indeed perform better on the test than the control group.
The phrases “I can beat my best score,” “I can do it faster,” were the most effective. In addition, if you imagine a picture that you are breaking your previous record or just playing well, the result will also improve.
But motivational attitudes, which are about imagining the possible benefits of doing well on a task, work the worst. However, as scientists emphasize, they remain an effective tool in the fight against obesity and other life problems.