Mind over matter: imagining success boosts motivation in social anxiety

NCT ID NCT07009444

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Philipps University Marburg Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

social phobia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

SOCIAL ANXIETY SOCIAL PHOBIA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Germany Philipps University

Marburg, 35037, Germany

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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.