Gabriele Oettingen is a Professor of Psychology at both New York University and the University of Hamburg. At NYU, she leads the Motivation Lab.

After initial study in the field of biology, Professor Oettingen undertook doctoral research and subsequently worked at the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology in Germany. Professor Oettingen’s research focuses on self-regulation strategies within goal setting.

This work led to her developing the term ‘mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII). The techniques aim to assist people in changing habits positively. She has also developed a lay version of this theory, called ‘WOOP,’ standing for the four steps of Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan. She was involved in the development of an app for WOOP, which is available in 14 languages.

The author of three books and hundreds of scientific papers and book chapters, Professor Oettingen divides her time between New York and her homeland of Germany.