Stimulating Future-Oriented Thinking and Goal-Achievement Through the Future Self Using Virtual Reality and a Smartphone App: Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: Significance reported but specific p-values not provided

• Effect Size: Moderate effect sizes for smartphone intervention (d=0.43-0.49) and VR intervention (d=0.35-0.44) on future self-identification; large effect for VR on goal achievement (d=0.88)

• Primary Outcome: Future self-identification showed significant short-term improvements across all three aspects (vividness, valence, connectedness) for both intervention groups compared to control

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not calculable from available data - continuous outcomes with effect sizes reported

• Confidence Interval: Not reported in abstract

Clinical Application

Smartphone delivery highly feasible; VR delivery requires specialised equipment but showed superior goal achievement outcomes Technology-based interventions align with digital health initiatives; potential applications in university counselling services, youth mental health programs, and preventive health contexts, though TGA approval not relevant for non-therapeutic applications Potentially applicable to young adults in educational settings seeking goal-oriented behavioural interventions, though evidence limited to university students

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that identification with one's future self-encompassing vividness, connectedness, and valence-plays a key role in motivating future-oriented choices and goal pursuit. Interventions aiming to strengthen future self-identification have been shown to reduce maladaptive behaviors and promote well-being, but traditional approaches often rely heavily on imagination. Emerging technologies offer novel opportunities to make the future self more vivid and tangible, potentially reducing cognitive burden, and enhancing intervention effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a digital intervention on the following primary outcomes: future self-identification, future orientation, consideration of future consequences, self-defeating behavior, goal commitment, and goal achievement. METHODS: In this parallel, 3-arm randomized controlled trial, 321 first-year students from a large public university in the Netherlands were randomized (1:1:1) with blocks of 9 to a smartphone app-based future-self intervention, an immersive virtual reality (VR) version of the same intervention, or an active goal-setting control condition. Participants assigned to the smartphone or VR condition engaged with the intervention over a 3-week period, during which they interacted with their 10-year-old self, their future self. Participants in the control condition received no further support. Each of the 3 conditions consisted of 107 participants, who were all included in the analyses following the intention-to-treat principle. Due to the nature of the intervention, blinding was not possible. RESULTS: Compared to the goal-setting control condition, both intervention conditions yielded significant short-term improvements on all 3 aspects of future self-identification (smartphone: dvividness=0.49; dvalence=0.44; dconnectedness=0.43; VR: dvividness=0.35; dvalence=0.44; dconnectedness=0.43), and a small decline in vividness (smartphone: d=-0.36; VR: d=-0.23) and connectedness (smartphone: d=-0.36; VR: d=-0.32) at 6-month follow-up. Additionally, the intervention buffered declines in future orientation during the study period (smartphone: d=.16; VR: d=0.18), and VR delivery led to significantly higher weekly goal achievement (d=0.88). However, effects on future orientation were not sustained over time (smartphone: d=-0.18; VR: d=-0.25), resulting in similar levels across conditions at 6-month follow-up. Furthermore, no significant effects emerged for other primary or secondary outcomes, such as self-defeating behavior (smartphone: doverall=-0.10; VR: doverall=-0.03), impulsivity (smartphone: doverall=-0.07; VR: doverall=-0.09), or academic performance (η2partial=0.00). No adverse events were reported in any of the conditions. CONCLUSIONS: This randomized controlled trial innovatively compares smartphone and immersive VR future-self interventions. Findings suggest that digital interventions leveraging visual and interactive representations of the future self can strengthen future self-identification and future orientation, and support (short-term) goal pursuit. Together, they highlight the potential of scalable digital future self approaches for educational and preventive health contexts.

References

1. 1.van Gelder, J. L., Tettero, T., Siezenga, A., & Mertens, E. (2026). Stimulating Future-Oriented Thinking and Goal-Achievement Through the Future Self Using Virtual Reality and a Smartphone App: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 28(5), e84420. https://doi.org/10.2196/84420