If you Think it you can Achieve it: The Relationship Between Goal Specificity and Magical Thinking
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Clinical Psychology
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Michael Bordieri
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Magical thinking beliefs involve spirituality, superstitious beliefs, and thought action fusion. Thought action fusion is the belief that a person’s thoughts are connected to their actions, this is similar to the law of attraction. Thought action fusion is a feature in many psychological disorders such as OCD. Goal setting is important in daily life as well as in a clinical setting for treatment intervention. Goals should be specific and have value or meaning to the person setting the goal. The current study compares the effect of magical thinking beliefs on goal specificity in college students. Participants are to write down as many discrete and specific goals that they believe will characterize them in the near future as they can in 90 seconds. It is hypothesized that the higher the level magical thinking beliefs that a person has the more specific and less plausible goals they will set.
Keywords: the law of attraction, magical thinking, goal setting, goal specificity
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Psychology: Projects In-Progress
If you Think it you can Achieve it: The Relationship Between Goal Specificity and Magical Thinking
Magical thinking beliefs involve spirituality, superstitious beliefs, and thought action fusion. Thought action fusion is the belief that a person’s thoughts are connected to their actions, this is similar to the law of attraction. Thought action fusion is a feature in many psychological disorders such as OCD. Goal setting is important in daily life as well as in a clinical setting for treatment intervention. Goals should be specific and have value or meaning to the person setting the goal. The current study compares the effect of magical thinking beliefs on goal specificity in college students. Participants are to write down as many discrete and specific goals that they believe will characterize them in the near future as they can in 90 seconds. It is hypothesized that the higher the level magical thinking beliefs that a person has the more specific and less plausible goals they will set.
Keywords: the law of attraction, magical thinking, goal setting, goal specificity