ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews a myriad of evidence explicating the role of imagination in optimizing self-control. It illustrates how adjusting key elements of a simulation can shape the identification of goal-relevant actions and the construction of mental events. A number of factors influence the efficacy of prospection, such as accuracy of information, the quality of past experience, and the extent to which imagery preserves fundamental characteristics of the world. One of the common ways that mental simulations can stray from real world experience is through the use of visual perspectives. Visual perspective is used as a tool to control the content and type of information that is incorporated into social judgments. To explore the impact of point of view on actions, researchers investigated how using different visual perspectives when imagining voting in an upcoming election influenced actual voting behavior. Through the characteristics of the imaginary experiences such as temporal and spatial distances, one can transform the aspects of cognition and behavior.
