The app can change the way you see yourself at work

For most accounts, confidence is a prerequisite for workplace success. What if you have subtly rewired training using something simple like a smartphone app?

This is the premise behind the University of California, Riverside’s initial research, where psychologists tested whether workers can reconstruct their self-image through digital tools that reinforce positive beliefs.

Findings published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports suggest that it can be done. And belief systems often assumed to be deeply entrenched may be more flexible than previously thought.

Thomas S., professor of UCR psychology and senior author of the study, said: The core of this study was a smartphone app designed to reinforce active workplace beliefs through simple visual cues.

The idea behind an app called MindTapp is seemingly simple. Users can show their own photos along with positive words like “hard work”, “happiness”, and “reliability”. Over time, this pairing, known as associative conditioning, can help change the way people see themselves at work. In this study, 159 young adults, most of their university students, used the app without knowing their psychological purpose. Before and after, they completed a survey assessing employee self-awareness.

With MindTapp, it feels like scrolling through the photo sharing app rather than engaged in training. Participants uploaded casual selfies, but the app was then combined with a rotating set of positive characteristics. With each swipe they saw themselves along with words like “productive” and “team player.” The interaction only took a few minutes, but over time, this repetition subtly reshaping the way users perceive their professional strengths.

The change was measurable, according to the researchers. Participants manifested with a more favorable view of workplace competence and with a greater self-efficacy, that is, their efforts could affect outcomes.

“We’ve known for a long time that people internalize cultural stereotypes about what makes ‘good workers’,” Sy said. “But people also often have unconscious beliefs about themselves. What we have found is that those beliefs can change shape.”

This technique draws from decades-old principles in behavioral psychology, but the application here is modernised. It is part of its charm and its power.

The period during which the effect remains in the last problem. Without reinforcement, the positive changes appear to fade within 24 hours. However, we are optimistic that repeated use of SY could lead to more lasting changes. “This isn’t just a story,” he said. “It’s a tool that’s used over time and can fundamentally change someone’s workplace identity.”

SY filed a patent and made the app freely available. In the case of SY, the project refers to the undisappeared frontier in employee development. Companies invest heavily in training programs aimed at knowledge and behavior, but there is little target thinking.

“Information and skills are important, of course,” SY said. “But belief systems affect motivation, persistence, and even how people interpret their work experience. They are fundamental. But we rarely touch on them.”

It could be changing. As digital tools become increasingly mediating professional lives, from coaching to wellness to performance tracking, the potential for belief-centered training is gaining interest. What makes MindTapp novels is that it leaves the building of beliefs in the hands of users. No instructor is required.

“You can become an architect of your own way of thinking,” Sy said. “Until now, it hasn’t shown that people can do that using digital tools.”

This meaning extends beyond workplace productivity. Thinking not only affects how people perform, but also whether they speak up, defend themselves, pursue new roles. And in the professional world where self-awareness often forms opportunities, even a little, slightly — can be no small thing.

“This isn’t just about giving a quick impact on your thoughts,” Sy said. “It’s about helping people believe who they are and who has lasting power.”