The Best Possible Self Intervention: the diversity of formats and the equality of effectiveness

The Best Possible Self intervention includes thinking about one’s Best Possible Self and turns a person to a possible future in which all goals and desires have been successfully achieved in the best possible way. The format varies from just thinking, writing and visualization to any combination of three stages. However, the numerous changes made by the authors to the initial intervention instructions call into question the possibility of considering all variations as a single tool, rather than a multitude of techniques based on the phenomenon of the Best Possible Self. The purpose of this article is to critically analyze empirical studies on the effectiveness of intervention in all variations. The latest studies demonstrate the effectiveness of intervention on motivation, self-efficacy, assessment of one's competence, and perseverance in performing a difficult task, but these indicators are rarely addressed, and the results are preliminary. The positive effect on optimism and positive affect have been confirmed by the results of many studies, and in recent years there has been a tendency to expand the research field. Within the framework, it is necessary to fill the existing gaps in the study of the effectiveness of intervention, taking into account individual characteristics, i.e. personality traits, professional status and cultural aspects. Given the frequent practice of clarifying the Best Possible Self to a certain sphere of life or social role, it is necessary to pay closer attention to the diversity and specificity of these trends in order to successfully adapt it to the required task and expand the possibilities of practical application of an intervention with promising potential.

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