Mind over matter: imagining success boosts motivation in social anxiety
NCT ID NCT07009444
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a simple mental imagery exercise could help people with social anxiety feel more motivated to face scary social situations. 136 participants first learned about social anxiety, then either imagined themselves successfully handling a feared situation or did nothing extra. The researchers measured how much pleasure and reward they expected, their motivation, and how often they actually faced the situation a week later.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Prospective mental imagery task
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost technique to help people with social anxiety feel more motivated to face feared situations.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed study with no long-term follow-up. The intervention is very brief and may not produce lasting change. Results may not apply to everyone with social anxiety.
Disclaimer
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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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
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Locations
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Germany Philipps University
Marburg, 35037, Germany