# Kalei — The Science Behind Every Turn

### How Peer-Reviewed Research Powers Every Feature in the App
**Version:** 1.0 · February 2026
**Purpose:** Map every Kalei feature to its scientific foundation, ensuring real cognitive science is woven into the user journey — not as decoration, but as structural integrity.

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## Why This Document Exists

Kalei's core differentiator is that it treats "manifestation" as what it actually is: a structured psychological process operating through known cognitive and behavioral mechanisms. Every feature in the app should be traceable back to published, peer-reviewed research. This document is the bridge between our research library and the product — a reference for anyone building, writing, or designing any part of Kalei.

The rule is simple: **if we can't cite it, we don't claim it.**

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## The Research Library — 7 Pillars

Our research base spans 16 peer-reviewed papers across 7 scientific domains. Each domain maps directly to one or more of Kalei's 6 Steps and core features.

| # | Research Pillar | Papers | Primary Kalei Feature(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goal Setting & Implementation | 4 | Step 1: Decide (Clarity) · Step 5: Act in Alignment · The Lens |
| 2 | Visualization & Mental Imagery | 3 | Step 2: See It · Guided Visualizations |
| 3 | Self-Efficacy | 1 | Step 3: Believe It's Possible (But Not Guaranteed) · The Turn |
| 4 | Attention & Neuroscience | 3 | Step 4: Notice Differently · The Mirror · The Reframer |
| 5 | Habit Formation | 2 | Step 6: Repeat and Compound · Streaks & Rituals |
| 6 | Placebo & Expectation Effects | 2 | Overall framework · Onboarding · Belief calibration |
| 7 | Social Networks | 1 | Future community features · The Spectrum |

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## Pillar 1: Goal Setting & Implementation

### The Science

**Locke & Latham (2002)** — *Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation: A 35-Year Odyssey*
The foundational paper on goal-setting theory, drawn from over 35 years of research. Core finding: specific, challenging goals consistently lead to higher performance than vague "do your best" goals. The mechanism works through four channels — goals direct attention, energize effort, increase persistence, and promote the discovery of task-relevant strategies.

**Locke & Latham (2006)** — *New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory*
Extends the original theory with moderators and mediators. Goals work best when paired with high self-efficacy, feedback loops, and commitment. Critically, goal complexity matters — overly complex goals without adequate learning time can backfire. This informs how Kalei scaffolds goals progressively rather than demanding perfection upfront.

**Gollwitzer (1999)** — *Implementation Intentions: Strong Effects of Simple Plans*
The landmark paper on "if-then" planning. When people form implementation intentions ("If situation X arises, I will do Y"), follow-through rates increase dramatically — in some studies doubling or tripling goal attainment. The mechanism: implementation intentions create strong mental links between situational cues and planned responses, effectively delegating action initiation to environmental triggers rather than relying on willpower.

**Gollwitzer & Sheeran** — *Implementation Intentions*
A comprehensive overview confirming that implementation intentions are most effective when self-regulatory problems threaten goal striving and when backed by strong, activated goal intentions. The if-then format works because it puts people in a position to both *see* and *seize* opportunities to act.

### Where It Lives in Kalei

**Step 1: Decide (Clarity)** — The Lens feature guides users through defining exactly what they want, using AI to help them move from vague wishes ("I want to be happier") to specific, challenging goals ("I want to complete a 5K run by June, training 3x per week"). The AI draws on Locke & Latham's specificity principle: the more precise the goal, the more it directs attention and effort.

**Step 5: Act in Alignment** — Every micro-action the AI generates follows Gollwitzer's if-then format. Instead of "exercise more," Kalei produces: "If it's 7am on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, then I put on my running shoes and walk out the front door." This isn't a style choice — it's the most empirically validated action-planning format in psychology.

**The Lens (Manifestation Engine)** — The entire goal-creation flow is structured around Locke & Latham's principles: clarity of outcome, challenge calibration (not too easy, not impossibly hard), commitment rituals, and built-in feedback loops through progress tracking.

**Design implications:**
- Goal inputs should guide toward specificity (prompts, not blank fields)
- Challenge level should be calibrated — the AI should push back on goals that are too vague or too easy
- Implementation intentions should always use the literal "If... then..." structure
- Progress feedback should be frequent and visible

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## Pillar 2: Visualization & Mental Imagery

### The Science

**Schuster et al. (2011)** — *Best Practice for Motor Imagery: A Systematic Literature Review*
A massive cross-disciplinary review across education, medicine, music, psychology, and sports. Key finding: motor imagery (mentally rehearsing actions) is most effective when combined with physical practice, when sessions are structured with clear protocols, and when the imagery is vivid and first-person. Pure fantasy without behavioral specificity doesn't work — the visualization must be *process-oriented*, not just outcome-oriented.

**Liu et al. (2025)** — *Effects of Imagery Practice on Athletes' Performance: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis*
A meta-analysis of 86 studies with 3,593 athletes confirming that imagery practice enhances performance across agility, strength, and sport-specific skills. The optimal dosage: approximately 10 minutes, 3 times per week, over about 100 days. Combining imagery with 1-2 additional psychological skills (like self-talk or goal setting) produces stronger effects than imagery alone.

**Seok & Choi (2023)** — *The Impact of Mental Practice on Motor Function in Patients With Stroke*
A systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrating that mental practice facilitates motor recovery in stroke patients — evidence that visualization activates overlapping neural circuits with actual physical execution, even when the body cannot currently perform the action.

### Where It Lives in Kalei

**Step 2: See It (Mental Rehearsal)** — Kalei generates personalized visualization scripts that guide users through mentally rehearsing the *process* of achieving their goal, not just imagining the end state. This distinction is critical: the research shows process visualization (imagining yourself studying, training, preparing) outperforms outcome visualization (imagining yourself on the podium).

**Guided Visualization Sessions** — Following Schuster et al.'s best-practice findings, Kalei's visualization prompts are first-person, sensory-rich, and process-focused. The AI asks users to engage multiple senses: what do you see, hear, feel? The recommended frequency (Liu et al.'s finding of ~10 minutes, 3x/week) informs the suggested cadence of visualization reminders.

**Design implications:**
- Visualization scripts must be process-oriented, not just outcome fantasy
- First-person perspective, multi-sensory detail
- Sessions should be ~10 minutes, suggested 3x per week
- Combine visualization with goal-setting and self-talk elements for maximum effect
- Never present visualization as sufficient alone — always pair with action steps

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## Pillar 3: Self-Efficacy

### The Science

**Bandura (1977)** — *Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change*
One of the most cited papers in all of psychology. Bandura's core claim: the belief in one's *capability* to execute specific behaviors is the strongest predictor of whether someone will attempt, sustain, and succeed at a goal. Self-efficacy is not general confidence — it's domain-specific belief that "I can do this particular thing."

Four sources build self-efficacy, in order of potency:
1. **Mastery experiences** — successfully doing the thing (strongest source)
2. **Vicarious experience** — watching someone similar succeed
3. **Verbal persuasion** — being told you can do it (weakest but still real)
4. **Physiological states** — interpreting your emotional/physical state as capability vs. inadequacy

Critically, Bandura distinguishes *efficacy expectations* (I can do it) from *outcome expectations* (doing it will produce results). Both matter, but self-efficacy is the bottleneck — people don't attempt what they don't believe they can execute.

### Where It Lives in Kalei

**Step 3: Believe It's Possible — But Not Guaranteed** — This is the philosophical soul of Kalei. The app explicitly rejects certainty-based belief ("the universe will provide") in favor of Bandura's capability-based belief ("I have or can develop the skills to make this happen"). This single distinction separates Kalei from every magical-thinking manifestation app on the market.

**The Turn (Reframing Engine)** — When users submit a negative thought, the AI reframe is designed to build self-efficacy, not just provide comfort. A good reframe should help users:
- Recognize past mastery experiences ("You've handled difficult things before — remember when...")
- Reinterpret physiological states ("That anxiety isn't proof you can't do this — it's your body preparing to perform")
- Shift from outcome fixation to capability focus ("You can't control whether you get the job, but you can control how well you prepare")

**Onboarding & Belief Calibration** — The coaching style selection (brutal honesty, gentle guidance, logical analysis, etc.) maps to Bandura's verbal persuasion channel. Different people respond to different persuasion styles. A skeptic needs logical arguments for capability; someone more emotionally oriented needs warmth and encouragement. The coaching style personalizes the persuasion channel.

**Design implications:**
- Reframes should target capability belief, never promise outcomes
- Track and surface mastery experiences ("You've completed 12 micro-actions this week")
- Coaching tone selection = personalizing the verbal persuasion channel
- Never say "you will succeed" — say "you have what it takes to give this your best shot"
- Celebrate effort and execution, not just outcomes

---

## Pillar 4: Attention & Neuroscience

### The Science

**Yantis (2008)** — *The Neural Basis of Selective Attention: Cortical Sources and Targets of Attentional Modulation*
Selective attention is an intrinsic component of how the brain processes reality. Modulatory signals from frontal and parietal cortex amplify neural responses to relevant information and suppress irrelevant inputs. What you attend to literally changes what your brain represents — attention isn't just noticing, it's constructing your experienced reality.

**Stevens & Bavelier (2012)** — *The Role of Selective Attention on Academic Foundations*
Attention is trainable. This paper demonstrates that selective attention underlies learning, memory, and skill acquisition. Crucially, attention training transfers — improving attentional control in one domain can enhance performance broadly. The brain's attentional system is plastic and responsive to practice.

**Koch & Tsuchiya** — *Attention and Consciousness: Two Distinct Brain Processes*
A critical theoretical paper distinguishing attention from consciousness. You can attend to things without being conscious of them, and you can be conscious of things without attending to them. This matters for Kalei because it means that training attention (a controllable process) can shift what enters conscious awareness (what feels like "reality") — without requiring mystical explanations.

### Where It Lives in Kalei

**Step 4: Notice Differently** — After setting a goal and building belief, Kalei trains users to notice differently. This isn't "the universe sending signs" — it's Yantis's selective attention at work. When you define a goal, your brain's attentional filters begin prioritizing goal-relevant information. Opportunities that were always there become visible because your attentional system is now tuned to detect them.

**The Mirror (Freeform Notebook)** — The Mirror feature directly applies attentional science. As users write freely, Kalei's AI detects cognitive distortion patterns (catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking, etc.) and gently highlights them. This is attention training in action: the AI acts as an external attentional spotlight, pointing at patterns the user's own attentional system has habituated to and therefore stopped noticing.

**The Reframer's Pattern Analysis** — Over time, the app analyzes which cognitive distortions appear most frequently in a user's Turns and Mirror sessions. This longitudinal attention data helps users see their own attentional biases — "You tend to catastrophize most on Sunday evenings" — turning unconscious attentional habits into conscious, addressable patterns.

**Design implications:**
- Frame "noticing" in neurological terms, never mystical ones
- The Mirror's highlighting is literally externalized attentional modulation
- Pattern analytics should reveal attentional biases over time
- Use language like "your brain is filtering for this now" not "the universe is showing you signs"

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## Pillar 5: Habit Formation

### The Science

**Wood & Neal (2007)** — *A New Look at Habits and the Habit-Goal Interface*
Habits form through the gradual learning of associations between responses and context features (physical settings, time of day, preceding actions). Once formed, perception of the context triggers the habitual response *without a mediating goal* — the behavior becomes automatic. Goals can direct habit formation (by motivating repetition) but once habits are established, they run on context cues, not intentions.

**Wood, Mazar & Neal (2021)** — *Habits and Goals in Human Behavior: Separate but Interacting Systems*
Extends the 2007 model: habits and goals are separate cognitive systems that interact. ~43% of daily behavior is habitual. Habit change requires disrupting the context-response link — either by changing contexts, or by introducing friction into the habitual response. For building new habits, the key is consistent repetition in stable contexts until the behavior becomes automatic.

### Where It Lives in Kalei

**Step 6: Repeat and Compound** — The final step in Kalei's manifestation system is explicitly about habit formation. The app helps users build daily rituals — consistent, context-anchored micro-actions that compound over time. The AI generates context-specific triggers ("Every morning after your first coffee, open Kalei and do one Turn") because Wood's research shows that context stability is the single biggest predictor of habit formation.

**Streaks & Ritual Tracking** — Kalei's streak system isn't gamification for its own sake — it's measuring the repetition that Wood et al. show is necessary for habit crystallization. The app tracks not just frequency but context consistency ("You've done your morning Turn at roughly the same time for 18 days — this is becoming automatic").

**The Mirror as Habitual Practice** — Regular Mirror sessions train the habit of self-reflection. Over time, the act of writing and examining thoughts becomes an automatic response to stress or uncertainty, rather than requiring conscious effort each time.

**Design implications:**
- Always pair actions with specific context cues (time, location, preceding action)
- Streak tracking should emphasize context consistency, not just count
- Frame habit formation as ~66 days of consistent repetition (Lally et al.'s median)
- Celebrate automaticity milestones ("This is becoming second nature")
- When habits break, help users rebuild the context-response link rather than relying on willpower

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## Pillar 6: Placebo & Expectation Effects

### The Science

**Pardo-Cabello et al. (2022)** — *Placebo: A Brief Updated Review*
A comprehensive review of placebo/nocebo effects across medicine. The placebo effect has been observed across multiple medical conditions and administration routes. Key finding: expectations directly influence physiological and behavioral outcomes. The doctor-patient relationship (or in Kalei's case, the app-user relationship) is the most important factor in whether expectation effects materialize. The psycho-neurobiological mechanisms are real and measurable.

**Stetler (2014)** — *Adherence, Expectations, and the Placebo Response*
Investigates why adherence to even inert treatments produces health benefits. The model: initial expectations shape behavior and physiological responses, and consistent adherence reinforces those expectations in a positive feedback loop. This is not "it's all in your head" — it's "what's in your head measurably changes what happens in your body and behavior."

### Where It Lives in Kalei

**The Overall Framework** — Kalei's entire approach leverages expectation effects honestly. We don't hide the mechanism — we explain it. Telling users "structured positive expectation, when combined with action, measurably improves outcomes" is both scientifically accurate and itself a form of positive expectation setting. The transparency is the feature.

**Onboarding & Science Education** — When users first encounter Kalei, the app explains *why* it works, citing real research. This serves two purposes: (1) it builds credibility with our skeptic-friendly audience, and (2) it primes legitimate expectation effects. Understanding that these mechanisms are real makes them more effective, not less — unlike placebos in medicine, where disclosure sometimes weakens the effect, in behavioral change, understanding the mechanism often strengthens engagement.

**Belief Calibration** — Stetler's finding about adherence reinforcing expectations informs Kalei's emphasis on daily practice. The more consistently users engage, the stronger their expectation of benefit becomes, which in turn increases the actual benefit. This is not circular logic — it's a documented feedback loop.

**Design implications:**
- Always explain the science behind features — transparency strengthens engagement
- The app-user relationship quality matters (tone, personalization, responsiveness)
- Consistent engagement creates a positive expectation-behavior feedback loop
- Frame this honestly: "Expectation shapes behavior. We're using that deliberately and transparently."
- Never hide the mechanism or pretend Kalei works through unknown forces

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## Pillar 7: Social Networks & Community

### The Science

**Granovetter (1973)** — *The Strength of Weak Ties*
One of the most influential papers in sociology. Granovetter demonstrates that transformative opportunities — new jobs, novel information, unexpected connections — come disproportionately from *weak ties* (acquaintances, distant contacts) rather than strong ties (close friends, family). Strong ties tend to share overlapping information; weak ties bridge different social worlds and provide access to non-redundant resources.

### Where It Lives in Kalei

**Future Community Features (The Spectrum)** — When Kalei eventually adds social features, Granovetter's weak-ties theory informs the design. Anonymous sharing of reframes, goals, and breakthroughs creates a network of weak ties — users inspiring other users they'll never meet. The value isn't in building close friendships within the app (strong ties) but in being unexpectedly inspired by someone else's Turn on a problem you share (weak ties).

**Design implications:**
- Community features should optimize for weak-tie connections (diverse, anonymous, cross-context)
- Don't try to build a social network — build a constellation of shared perspectives
- Anonymous or pseudonymous sharing preserves the weak-tie benefit (no obligation, no social pressure)
- Surface unexpected resonance: "42 other people Turned a similar thought this week"

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## The Chain: How the 7 Pillars Create the Manifestation Mechanism

The research pillars aren't independent — they form a causal chain:

```
Clear Goal (Locke & Latham)
  → biases attention toward goal-relevant information (Yantis, Stevens & Bavelier)
  → mental rehearsal primes execution (Schuster, Liu, Seok)
  → capability belief sustains effort through setbacks (Bandura)
  → if-then plans automate action initiation (Gollwitzer)
  → repetition builds automatic habits (Wood & Neal)
  → consistent practice reinforces positive expectations (Stetler, Pardo-Cabello)
  → broader action increases exposure to opportunity (Granovetter)
  → probability of desired outcome increases
```

This is what "manifestation" actually is: a chain of well-documented psychological mechanisms that compound to tilt probability in your favor. Not magic. Not metaphysics. Not "the universe." Just your brain doing what brains do when properly directed.

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## Quick Reference: Feature → Science Map

| Kalei Feature | Primary Research | Key Principle |
|---|---|---|
| **The Lens** (goal creation) | Locke & Latham 2002, 2006 | Specific, challenging goals with feedback |
| **The Turn** (reframing) | Bandura 1977; Yantis 2008 | Capability belief + attentional retraining |
| **The Mirror** (freeform notebook) | Stevens & Bavelier 2012; Koch & Tsuchiya | Externalized attentional spotlight |
| **The Rehearsal** (guided visualization) | Schuster 2011; Liu 2025; Seok 2023 | Process-oriented mental rehearsal (~10min, 3x/week) |
| **The Ritual** (daily flow) | Wood & Neal 2007; Wood et al. 2021 | Context-anchored habit formation; context stability |
| **The Evidence Wall** (mastery tracking) | Bandura 1977 | Mastery experiences (strongest efficacy source) |
| **If-Then Micro-Actions** | Gollwitzer 1999; Gollwitzer & Sheeran | Implementation intentions |
| **Coaching Styles** | Bandura 1977 | Personalized verbal persuasion |
| **Pattern Analytics** | Yantis 2008; Stevens & Bavelier 2012 | Revealing attentional biases |
| **Science Explanations** | Pardo-Cabello 2022; Stetler 2014 | Transparent expectation effects |
| **Community (future)** | Granovetter 1973 | Weak-tie opportunity exposure |

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## Guardrails: What the Science Does NOT Support

Just as important as what we cite is what we explicitly reject:

1. **"The universe responds to your thoughts"** — No research supports metaphysical causation. We never imply it.
2. **"Visualize and it will happen"** — Outcome-only visualization without action can actually *decrease* performance (by providing premature satisfaction). We always pair visualization with process focus and action steps.
3. **"Believe hard enough and you'll succeed"** — Bandura's self-efficacy is about capability belief, not outcome certainty. We always say "possible, not guaranteed."
4. **"Positive thinking cures everything"** — Toxic positivity. Kalei acknowledges real constraints, structural barriers, and randomness. The science improves odds — it doesn't eliminate uncertainty.
5. **"You attracted your problems"** — Victim-blaming disguised as empowerment. Never. The attentional science explains perception, not causation.

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## How to Use This Document

**For developers:** When building a feature, check this doc to understand the scientific principle behind it. The AI prompts, UX copy, and interaction patterns should all reflect the cited research.

**For AI prompt engineering:** Every reframe, visualization script, and goal scaffold should be traceable to a specific pillar. If a prompt produces output that contradicts the research (e.g., promising guaranteed outcomes), it needs revision.

**For content and copy:** When writing user-facing text — onboarding, tooltips, push notifications, feature descriptions — ground it in the relevant pillar. Users should feel the science without needing to read papers.

**For marketing:** "Science-backed" is not a buzzword for Kalei. It's a specific claim backed by 16 peer-reviewed papers across 7 research domains. This document is the receipt.

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*Same pieces. New angle. Real science.*
