University of Plymouth

09/17/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2025 01:13

Students can manage anxiety through programme that helps them imagine positive outcomes

Students' anxieties over participating in activities or completing tasks can be managed by increasing their motivation towards positive goals they want to achieve, a study has shown.
Researchers in the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth found that Functional Imagery Training (FIT) , a technique that uses mental imagery to motivate change, was effective at reducing students' anxiety levels around everyday tasks.
They found it calmed concerns about any perceived negatives a student might have regarding particular experiences, feelings which could normally result in them taking steps to avoid such situations completely.
In fact, it often had completely the opposite effect, fostering a sense of empowerment within individual students that they were in control and able to manage both their actions and emotions.
The researchers are now exploring ways to make FIT available to more young people, to help them learn skills for managing anxiety before it becomes a chronic problem.
The new study is published in the Behaviour Research and Therapy journal, and involved academics working in Plymouth and at the Queensland University of Technology.
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