From future vision to current action: The relationship between future self-identification and goal achievement

However, the direction of this relation has not been explored, and it is unclear to what extent each of the three future self-identification components—vividness, connectedness, or valence—drives goal achievement. The present study investigated the relationship of each component with goal achievement longitudinally and experimentally by testing whether an intervention (FutureU) designed to enhance future selfidentification affected these relationships.

A randomized controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05578755) was conducted among first-year university students (89.4% female, Mage = 19.59 years, SD = 2.25), who were assigned to a goal-setting control condition, the FutureU smartphone application condition, or the FutureU virtual reality condition. Results indicated that vividness of the future self, and to a lesser extent connectedness to the future self, positively predicted goal achievement, whereas valence toward the future self showed no effect.