In the 1920s,
Alfred Adler developed a therapeutic technique that he called "acting as if", asserting that "if you want a quality, act as if you already have it". This strategy gave his clients an opportunity to practice alternatives to dysfunctional behaviors. Adler's method is still used today and is often described as
role play. "Faking it till you make it" is a psychological tool discussed in
neuroscientific research. A 1988 experiment by
Fritz Strack claimed to show that mood can be improved by holding a pen between the user's teeth to force a smile, A later 2022 study about strategies to counter emotional distress found forced smiling not more effective than forced neutral expressions and other strategies of emotional regulation. ==See also==