New study tests whether happiness hacks boost Fear-Facing therapy
NCT ID NCT06258889
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether adding reward-focused exercises—like appreciating past successes and imagining positive future events—could make exposure therapy work better for people afraid of public speaking. Forty participants with high public speaking anxiety completed either exposure plus reward exercises or exposure plus cognitive flexibility exercises. The researchers measured fear levels before, during, and after treatment using questionnaires and a real speech test.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- reward-focused behavioral interventions (positive thinking exercises)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a more effective way to treat public speaking anxiety by boosting positive emotions during therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The benefit over standard exposure therapy is uncertain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Philipps-University Marburg
Marburg, Hesse, 35032, Germany
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.