Fear of FailureJM2019bNCT07196085
Neural Mechanisms and Efficacy of Imagery Rescripting for Fear of Failure
A study testing Imagery Rescripting in people with Fear of Failure, run by University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw at 1 site in Poland.
Trial summary
This randomized controlled trial investigates the neural and psychophysiological mechanisms of Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) in individuals with high fear of failure. Participants (N=81, aged 21-34) were randomized to ImRs or an active control condition. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Fear of Failure
- What is being tested?
- Imagery Rescripting
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 81 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePoland
- Study dates
- 1 Jun 2022to 30 May 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- adults aged 18-35
- high fear of failure
- not currently undergoing psychotherapy or psychopharmacotherapy
- no severe punitive experiences in the past
Who cannot join
- current severe affective disorders
- current severe anxiety
- current severe personality disorders
- active suicidality
- psychosis
- substance abuse
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Poland1 site
Poznań Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland
Poznan, Wielkopolska, 61-719
About this study
Official title: Neural Mechanisms and Efficacy of Imagery Rescripting for Fear of Failure: A Randomized Controlled Neuroimaging Trial
This randomized controlled trial investigates the neural and psychophysiological mechanisms of Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) in individuals with high fear of failure. Participants (N=81, aged 21-34) were randomized to ImRs or an active control condition. The intervention targeted autobiographical memories of parental criticism across four sessions delivered within two weeks. Neuroimaging (fMRI), skin conductance, and self-report measures were assessed pre- and post-intervention (accordindly, TP1, TP5), with follow-ups at 3 and 6 months (accordingly, TP6, TP7). The primary aim was to examine whether ImRs reduces neural and subjective reactivity to autobiographical criticism memories and whether prediction error or memory reconsolidation disruption underlie therapeutic effects.
Read the detailed description
Fear of failure is a common psychological problem often associated with parental criticism and maladaptive perfectionism. Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) is a therapeutic technique derived from schema therapy that aims to modify distressing autobiographical memories by introducing corrective experiences in imagination. While ImRs has shown efficacy in anxiety and personality disorders, its underlying neural mechanisms remain insufficiently understood.
This randomized controlled neuroimaging trial investigated the effects of ImRs on autobiographical memories of criticism in young adults with high levels of fear of failure. The study specifically examined whether therapeutic change is driven by disruption of memory reconsolidation or by prediction error mechanisms, both of which have been proposed as key pathways for updating maladaptive memories.
Participants (N=81, aged 21-34) meeting inclusion criteria for high fear of failure (Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory ≥ 108) were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either an ImRs intervention group or an active control group. Exclusion criteria included psychiatric disorders (e.g., PTSD, major depression), active pharmacotherapy, history of childhood abuse, and contraindications to MRI.
All participants underwent two fMRI sessions (pre- and post-intervention), four intervention sessions within a two-week period, and follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. During fMRI, participants listened to personalized autobiographical scenarios: five involving parental criticism and five neutral ones. In the ImRs group, the criticism scenario was modified by introducing an imagined therapist figure who interrupted the critical interaction, addressed the child's needs, and suggested alternative positive outcomes. In the control group, participants engaged in a structurally similar neutral imagery task without therapeutic modification.
Primary outcomes included changes in neural activation (BOLD fMRI) in fear-related brain regions (amygdala, thalamus, insula, ventromedial prefrontal cortex) when processing criticism versus neutral memories. Secondary outcomes included functional connectivity between prefrontal and subcortical regions, subjective ratings of arousal and emotions during scenarios, and questionnaire-based measures of fear of failure, perfectionism, and failure-related schemas. An exploratory outcome examined activation of the caudate nucleus during rescripting as a neural correlate of prediction error.
The trial aimed to clarify whether ImRs reduces emotional reactivity at neural and subjective levels, and whether therapeutic effects are mediated reconsolidation-related neural changes or by prediction error. By combining personalized autobiographical stimuli, fMRI, psychophysiological measures, and longitudinal follow-up, the study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of memory-focused psychotherapy in individuals at risk of maladaptive perfectionism and fear of failure.
- Conditions
- Fear of Failure
- Being tested
- Imagery Rescripting, Sham Neutral Imagery
- Keywords
- Fear of failure, Imagery Rescripting, Skin Conductance Level, fMRI
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Imagery RescriptingBehavioural
Four ImRs sessions over 2 weeks, targeting autobiographical criticism memory. Therapist-guided rescripting involved modifying the "hotspot" scene (critical interaction) with protective interventions addressing unmet needs.
Sham Neutral ImageryBehavioural
Four neutral imagery sessions over 2 weeks. Participants imagined neutral interpersonal interactions matched in structure and duration to ImRs but with rescription of neutral instead of criticism memories.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery Rescripting | Experimental | Four ImRs sessions over 2 weeks, targeting autobiographical criticism memory. Therapist-guided rescripting involved modifying the "hotspot" scene (critical interaction) with protective interventions addressing unmet needs. Receives: Behavioral: Imagery Rescripting |
| Sham Neutral Imagery | Active comparator | Four neutral imagery sessions over 2 weeks. Participants imagined neutral interpersonal interactions matched in structure and duration to ImRs but with rescription of neutral instead of criticism memories. Receives: Behavioral: Sham Neutral Imagery |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
BOLD fMRI activation to autobiographical criticism scenarios
Blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal in fear-related regions (amygdala, thalamus, insula, vmPFC) during listening to criticism vs. neutral autobiographical scenarios. Contrasts analyzed for anticipation (ANT), hotspot (HOT), and combined phases.
Measured: Pre-treatment (TP1) and 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5).
Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI)
The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory was used to assess fear of failure. It is a 35-item questionnaire that measures the strength of subjective beliefs about the consequences of failure. The PFAI has five subscales: fear of experiencing shame and embarrassment; fear of devaluing one's self-esteem; fear of having an uncertain future; fear of important others losing interest, and fear of upsetting important others, with scores ranging 35-175. Higher scores indicate higher level of fear of failure.
Measured: Screening, pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7)
Functional connectivity (fMRI)
Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) and ROI-to-ROI connectivity between vmPFC/dlPFC and fear-related subcortical regions (amygdala, insula, thalamus, hippocampus, PCC, ACC, precuneus) during criticism vs. neutral autobiographical scenarios.
Measured: Pre-treatment (TP1) and 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5)
Subjective ratings at the end of all sessions
Subjective ratings at the end of all sessions - participants were asked to evaluate each fragment of the presented scenarios according to several measures: immersion, focus, emotions (happiness, sadness, guilt, fear, anger, disgust) on a 9-point Likert scale (very low-very high), and valence (very negative-very positive), scores ranging 1-9 for each factor.
Measured: Pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7)
Failure-related Schemas (FA-YSQ)
Failure-related subscale of the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ). Higher scores indicate stronger maladaptive beliefs about failure. Scores ranges from 0 to 54.
Measured: Pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7).
Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FROST)
35-item questionnaire assessing perfectionism dimensions: Personal Standards, Organization, Concern Over Mistakes, Doubts About Actions, Parental Expectations, and Parental Criticism. Scores range 35-175. Higher scores indicate higher level of perfectionism.
Measured: Pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7).
SCL recordings
Skin conductance level (SCL) was collected during the audio-guided scenarios' imagery at pre-treatment, treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up sessions. SCL was acquired using Biopack MP160 EDA-MRI system, with a sampling frequency of 2000Hz. The signal was resampled into 1000Hz, then smoothed with median (100 samples), and filtered with a high-passed 1Hz filter. We calculated normalized change in SCL with equation 100#(SCLStim-SCLbaseline/SCLbaseline), where SCLStim is the mean signal value during the stimulus and SCLbaseline is an SCL reaction during the baseline preceding the first part in each scenario (Sugimine et al., 2020). Our primary outcome was SCL during the imagery of different scenarios, separated for anticipation and hotspot parts.
Measured: Screening, pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7)
Secondary outcomes (10)
Working Alliance Inventory (WAI, short form)
Assesses therapeutic alliance between participant and therapist across three domains: bond, goals, and tasks. Rated after final intervention. Score ranges from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating higher working alliance.
Measured: 6-month follow-up (TP7).
Beck Depression Inventory
Beck Depression Inventory second edition (BDI-II) is a self-report scale using 21 items regarding the presence and strength of depression symptoms, with scores ranging 0-63. Higher levels of BDI indicate higher level of depressive symtpoms.
Measured: Screening, 6-month follow-up
Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive
Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive self-report severity scale Y-BOCS-SR a 10-item, self-report questionnaire created to evaluate OCD severity, scores ranging 0-40 (higher scores indicate higher level of OCD symptoms).
Measured: Screening, 6-month follow-up
M.I.N.I. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
M.I.N.I. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview is a short structured interview for DSM IV and ICD 10 disorders, used to assess mental disorders: major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, suicidality, mania, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, specific phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol dependence/abuse, drug dependence/abuse, antisocial personality disorder. Based on positive answers to questions clinician diagnose adequate disorders.
Measured: Screening
Social Anxiety Disorder Scale (DSM)
Self-report dimensional scale for Social Anxiety Disorder based on DSM-5 criteria. The scale consists of 10 items measuring frequency of symptoms experienced in the last 7 days. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale (0 = never, 4 = all the time). Scores range 0-40, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.
Measured: Screening, 6-month follow-up
Panic Disorder Scale (DSM)
10-item self-rating questionnaire based on DSM-5 criteria for Panic Disorder. The scale assesses symptom frequency over the past 7 days using a 4-point Likert scale (0-4), with total scores ranging from 0 to 40.
Measured: Screening, 6-month Follow-up (TP7)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
A dimensional measure for Generalized Anxiety Disorder based on DSM-5, comprising 10 items. Participants indicate how frequently they experienced each symptom during the past 7 days. Scoring is on a 4-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 4 (all the time), with total scores ranging 0-40.
Measured: Screening, 6-month Follow-up (TP7)
Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Scale (DSM)
Self-report scale assessing PTSD symptoms as defined by DSM-5 criteria. The instrument includes 10 items evaluating symptom frequency over the previous 7 days on a 0-4 Likert scale. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher symptoms severity.
Measured: Screening, 6-month Follow-up (TP7)
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5-PD)
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 SCID-5-PD is a semistructured clinical interview that evaluates DSM-5 personality disorders under three clusters of A, B, and C, and other specific personality disorders. Based on positive answers to questions clinician diagnose adequate personality disorders.
Measured: Screening
Drug Abuse Screen Test
Drug Abuse Screen Test DAST 10 is a self-reported questionnaire to detect drug use disorders, scores ranging 0-10. Higher scores indicates higher level of drug usage.
Measured: Screening
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Sep 2025
- Study start1 Jun 2022
- Primary completion30 Nov 2022
- Study completion30 May 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (8)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Fear of FailureStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 81 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jaroslaw Michalowski, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw
- Investigators
- Jarosław M. Michałowski, PHD, Principal investigator, Poznań Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, SWPS
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07196085
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SONATA_BIS_JM2019b
- Acronym
- JM2019b
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 18 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 2 Oct 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual participant data from this study, including questionnaire responses, psychophysiological recordings (skin conductance), and neuroimaging data (NIfTI format), as well as analytic code, have already been deposited in the institutional repository (SWPS University Science Cloud). These data are available for secondary analyses by other researchers.
Publications
Conroy, D. E., Willow, J. P., & Metzler, J. N. (2002). Multidimensional fear of failure measurement: The performance failure appraisal inventory. Journal of applied sport psychology, 14(2), 76-90.
Agren T, Engman J, Frick A, Bjorkstrand J, Larsson EM, Furmark T, Fredrikson M. Disruption of reconsolidation erases a fear memory trace in the human amygdala. Science. 2012 Sep 21;337(6101):1550-2. doi: 10.1126/science.1223006.
PubMed 22997340Arntz A, Weertman A. Treatment of childhood memories: theory and practice. Behav Res Ther. 1999 Aug;37(8):715-40. doi: 10.1016/s0005-7967(98)00173-9.
PubMed 10452174Morina N, Lancee J, Arntz A. Imagery rescripting as a clinical intervention for aversive memories: A meta-analysis. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2017 Jun;55:6-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.11.003. Epub 2016 Nov 9.
PubMed 27855298Schiller D, Kanen JW, LeDoux JE, Monfils MH, Phelps EA. Extinction during reconsolidation of threat memory diminishes prefrontal cortex involvement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Dec 10;110(50):20040-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1320322110. Epub 2013 Nov 25.
PubMed 24277809Siegesleitner M, Strohm M, Wittekind CE, Ehring T, Kunze AE. Improving imagery rescripting treatments: Comparing an active versus passive approach. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2020 Dec;69:101578. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2020.101578. Epub 2020 Jun 9.
PubMed 32569854Sugimine S, Saito S, Takazawa T. Normalized skin conductance level could differentiate physical pain stimuli from other sympathetic stimuli. Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 2;10(1):10950. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67936-0.
PubMed 32616939Craske MG, Kircanski K, Epstein A, Wittchen HU, Pine DS, Lewis-Fernandez R, Hinton D; DSM V Anxiety; OC Spectrum; Posttraumatic and Dissociative Disorder Work Group. Panic disorder: a review of DSM-IV panic disorder and proposals for DSM-V. Depress Anxiety. 2010 Feb;27(2):93-112. doi: 10.1002/da.20654.
PubMed 20099270
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Oct 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neural Mechanisms and Efficacy of Imagery Rescripting for Fear of Failure: A Randomized Controlled Neuroimaging Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07196085
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- JM2019b / SONATA_BIS_JM2019b
- Conditions
- Fear of Failure
- Keywords
- Fear of failure, Imagery Rescripting, Skin Conductance Level, fMRI
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 81 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities, WarsawUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jun 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Nov 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 May 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized controlled trial investigates the neural and psychophysiological mechanisms of Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) in individuals with high fear of failure. Participants (N=81, aged 21-34) were randomized to ImRs or an active control condition. The intervention targeted autobiographical memories of parental criticism across four sessions delivered within two weeks. Neuroimaging (fMRI), skin conductance, and self-report measures were assessed pre- and post-intervention (accordindly, TP1, TP5), with follow-ups at 3 and 6 months (accordingly, TP6, TP7). The primary aim was to examine whether ImRs reduces neural and subjective reactivity to autobiographical criticism memories and whether prediction error or memory reconsolidation disruption underlie therapeutic effects.
Detailed description
Fear of failure is a common psychological problem often associated with parental criticism and maladaptive perfectionism. Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) is a therapeutic technique derived from schema therapy that aims to modify distressing autobiographical memories by introducing corrective experiences in imagination. While ImRs has shown efficacy in anxiety and personality disorders, its underlying neural mechanisms remain insufficiently understood.
This randomized controlled neuroimaging trial investigated the effects of ImRs on autobiographical memories of criticism in young adults with high levels of fear of failure. The study specifically examined whether therapeutic change is driven by disruption of memory reconsolidation or by prediction error mechanisms, both of which have been proposed as key pathways for updating maladaptive memories.
Participants (N=81, aged 21-34) meeting inclusion criteria for high fear of failure (Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory ≥ 108) were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either an ImRs intervention group or an active control group. Exclusion criteria included psychiatric disorders (e.g., PTSD, major depression), active pharmacotherapy, history of childhood abuse, and contraindications to MRI.
All participants underwent two fMRI sessions (pre- and post-intervention), four intervention sessions within a two-week period, and follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. During fMRI, participants listened to personalized autobiographical scenarios: five involving parental criticism and five neutral ones. In the ImRs group, the criticism scenario was modified by introducing an imagined therapist figure who interrupted the critical interaction, addressed the child's needs, and suggested alternative positive outcomes. In the control group, participants engaged in a structurally similar neutral imagery task without therapeutic modification.
Primary outcomes included changes in neural activation (BOLD fMRI) in fear-related brain regions (amygdala, thalamus, insula, ventromedial prefrontal cortex) when processing criticism versus neutral memories. Secondary outcomes included functional connectivity between prefrontal and subcortical regions, subjective ratings of arousal and emotions during scenarios, and questionnaire-based measures of fear of failure, perfectionism, and failure-related schemas. An exploratory outcome examined activation of the caudate nucleus during rescripting as a neural correlate of prediction error.
The trial aimed to clarify whether ImRs reduces emotional reactivity at neural and subjective levels, and whether therapeutic effects are mediated reconsolidation-related neural changes or by prediction error. By combining personalized autobiographical stimuli, fMRI, psychophysiological measures, and longitudinal follow-up, the study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of memory-focused psychotherapy in individuals at risk of maladaptive perfectionism and fear of failure.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery Rescripting | Experimental | Behavioral: Imagery RescriptingFour ImRs sessions over 2 weeks, targeting autobiographical criticism memory. Therapist-guided rescripting involved modifying the "hotspot" scene (critical interaction) with protective interventions addressing unmet needs. |
| Sham Neutral Imagery | Active comparator | Behavioral: Sham Neutral ImageryFour neutral imagery sessions over 2 weeks. Participants imagined neutral interpersonal interactions matched in structure and duration to ImRs but with rescription of neutral instead of criticism memories. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- adults aged 18-35
- high fear of failure
- not currently undergoing psychotherapy or psychopharmacotherapy
- no severe punitive experiences in the past
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- current severe affective disorders
- current severe anxiety
- current severe personality disorders
- active suicidality
- psychosis
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery RescriptingFour ImRs sessions over 2 weeks, targeting autobiographical criticism memory. Therapist-guided rescripting involved modifying the "hotspot" scene (critical interaction) with protective interventions addressing unmet needs. | Behavioural | Imagery Rescripting |
| Sham Neutral ImageryFour neutral imagery sessions over 2 weeks. Participants imagined neutral interpersonal interactions matched in structure and duration to ImRs but with rescription of neutral instead of criticism memories. | Behavioural | Sham Neutral Imagery |
Primary outcome
BOLD fMRI activation to autobiographical criticism scenarios
Time frame: Pre-treatment (TP1) and 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5).
Blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal in fear-related regions (amygdala, thalamus, insula, vmPFC) during listening to criticism vs. neutral autobiographical scenarios. Contrasts analyzed for anticipation (ANT), hotspot (HOT), and combined phases.
Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI)
Time frame: Screening, pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7)
The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory was used to assess fear of failure. It is a 35-item questionnaire that measures the strength of subjective beliefs about the consequences of failure. The PFAI has five subscales: fear of experiencing shame and embarrassment; fear of devaluing one's self-esteem; fear of having an uncertain future; fear of important others losing interest, and fear of upsetting important others, with scores ranging 35-175. Higher scores indicate higher level of fear of failure.
Functional connectivity (fMRI)
Time frame: Pre-treatment (TP1) and 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5)
Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) and ROI-to-ROI connectivity between vmPFC/dlPFC and fear-related subcortical regions (amygdala, insula, thalamus, hippocampus, PCC, ACC, precuneus) during criticism vs. neutral autobiographical scenarios.
Subjective ratings at the end of all sessions
Time frame: Pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7)
Subjective ratings at the end of all sessions - participants were asked to evaluate each fragment of the presented scenarios according to several measures: immersion, focus, emotions (happiness, sadness, guilt, fear, anger, disgust) on a 9-point Likert scale (very low-very high), and valence (very negative-very positive), scores ranging 1-9 for each factor.
Failure-related Schemas (FA-YSQ)
Time frame: Pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7).
Failure-related subscale of the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ). Higher scores indicate stronger maladaptive beliefs about failure. Scores ranges from 0 to 54.
Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FROST)
Time frame: Pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7).
35-item questionnaire assessing perfectionism dimensions: Personal Standards, Organization, Concern Over Mistakes, Doubts About Actions, Parental Expectations, and Parental Criticism. Scores range 35-175. Higher scores indicate higher level of perfectionism.
SCL recordings
Time frame: Screening, pre-treatment (TP1), 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5), 3- & 6-month follow-up (TP6, TP7)
Skin conductance level (SCL) was collected during the audio-guided scenarios' imagery at pre-treatment, treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up sessions. SCL was acquired using Biopack MP160 EDA-MRI system, with a sampling frequency of 2000Hz. The signal was resampled into 1000Hz, then smoothed with median (100 samples), and filtered with a high-passed 1Hz filter. We calculated normalized change in SCL with equation 100#(SCLStim-SCLbaseline/SCLbaseline), where SCLStim is the mean signal value during the stimulus and SCLbaseline is an SCL reaction during the baseline preceding the first part in each scenario (Sugimine et al., 2020). Our primary outcome was SCL during the imagery of different scenarios, separated for anticipation and hotspot parts.
10 secondary outcomes
Working Alliance Inventory (WAI, short form)
Time frame: 6-month follow-up (TP7).
Beck Depression Inventory
Time frame: Screening, 6-month follow-up
Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive
Time frame: Screening, 6-month follow-up
M.I.N.I. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
Time frame: Screening
Social Anxiety Disorder Scale (DSM)
Time frame: Screening, 6-month follow-up
Panic Disorder Scale (DSM)
Time frame: Screening, 6-month Follow-up (TP7)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
Time frame: Screening, 6-month Follow-up (TP7)
Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Scale (DSM)
Time frame: Screening, 6-month Follow-up (TP7)
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5-PD)
Time frame: Screening
Drug Abuse Screen Test
Time frame: Screening
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Oct 2025.
- BackgroundConroy, D. E., Willow, J. P., & Metzler, J. N. (2002). Multidimensional fear of failure measurement: The performance failure appraisal inventory. Journal of applied sport psychology, 14(2), 76-90.
- Background: PubMed 22997340Agren T, Engman J, Frick A, Bjorkstrand J, Larsson EM, Furmark T, Fredrikson M. Disruption of reconsolidation erases a fear memory trace in the human amygdala. Science. 2012 Sep 21;337(6101):1550-2. doi: 10.1126/science.1223006.
- Background: PubMed 10452174Arntz A, Weertman A. Treatment of childhood memories: theory and practice. Behav Res Ther. 1999 Aug;37(8):715-40. doi: 10.1016/s0005-7967(98)00173-9.
- Background: PubMed 27855298Morina N, Lancee J, Arntz A. Imagery rescripting as a clinical intervention for aversive memories: A meta-analysis. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2017 Jun;55:6-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.11.003. Epub 2016 Nov 9.
- Background: PubMed 24277809Schiller D, Kanen JW, LeDoux JE, Monfils MH, Phelps EA. Extinction during reconsolidation of threat memory diminishes prefrontal cortex involvement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Dec 10;110(50):20040-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1320322110. Epub 2013 Nov 25.
- Background: PubMed 32569854Siegesleitner M, Strohm M, Wittekind CE, Ehring T, Kunze AE. Improving imagery rescripting treatments: Comparing an active versus passive approach. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2020 Dec;69:101578. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2020.101578. Epub 2020 Jun 9.
- Background: PubMed 32616939Sugimine S, Saito S, Takazawa T. Normalized skin conductance level could differentiate physical pain stimuli from other sympathetic stimuli. Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 2;10(1):10950. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67936-0.
- Background: PubMed 20099270Craske MG, Kircanski K, Epstein A, Wittchen HU, Pine DS, Lewis-Fernandez R, Hinton D; DSM V Anxiety; OC Spectrum; Posttraumatic and Dissociative Disorder Work Group. Panic disorder: a review of DSM-IV panic disorder and proposals for DSM-V. Depress Anxiety. 2010 Feb;27(2):93-112. doi: 10.1002/da.20654.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual participant data from this study, including questionnaire responses, psychophysiological recordings (skin conductance), and neuroimaging data (NIfTI format), as well as analytic code, have already been deposited in the institutional repository (SWPS University Science Cloud). These data are available for secondary analyses by other researchers.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jarosław M. Michałowski, PHD principal investigator
Poznań Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, SWPS
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Imagery Rescripting in people with Fear of Failure, run by University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw at 1 site in Poland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Poland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
BOLD fMRI activation to autobiographical criticism scenarios (time frame: Pre-treatment (TP1) and 2-weeks post-treatment (TP5).). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07196085, which also lists 8 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Oct 2025.