The Coué method, you know ? Developed at the end of the 19th century by the French psychologist and pharmacist Émile Coué de la Châtaigneraie, it works on the principle of auto-suggestion. Concretely, before each test (an exam or a competition, for example), it is a question of repeating positive and stimulating sentences, such as “I will get there”, “I can do it”, “I am the better”, “I have confidence in myself”…
Regularly questioned by health professionals, the Coué method does not (yet) convince the medical community. However, according to a new British study published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychologyself-persuasion would be really effective.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers (under the direction of Pr. Andrew Lane, of the University of Wolverhampton, in Great Britain) carried out a psycho experiment on a large sample of 44,742 volunteers. They had to play a video game and exceed a certain score. In total, they were allowed 4 tries.
Self-suggestion and positive visualization
Result: the researchers observed that the volunteers who practiced theautosuggestion and self-encouragement (“I can go faster, I can beat this score…”) performed better than those of the control group. In the same way, the volunteers who worked from images (here, it is a question of mentally visualizing their success) also reaped more satisfactory scores.
On the other hand, participants who used the “if…then” technique to motivate themselves performed slightly less well. This technique (which consists of imagining how we will feel when we have reached our goal) is especially effective for people who want to lose weight.
Really effective, the Coué method? That’s what this new study suggests. We try ?
Unusual: looking in a mirror after the shower boosts self-confidence.