Mental Imagery Rescripting: A Comparison of an Active versus Passive Approach on Post-Intervention Levels of Mastery and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Mental imagery rescripting (ImRs) is a therapeutic technique effective for various disorders. By rescripting previously aversive memories, negative meanings and emotions may decrease while new positive associations can develop. ImRs can be divided into two approaches: an active (ImRs-A) and a passive approach (ImRs-P). Within ImRs-A, patients imagine themselves performing, e.g., by enacting previously suppressed actions. Patients within ImRs-P picture another person intervening in their memory. Previous studies have established the impact of ImRs on perceived mastery and self-efficacy, suggesting their role as possible working mechanisms through expressing actions that were suppressed during the original memory, gaining control over the memory, and increasing positive self-beliefs. This study investigated the differential role of mastery and self-efficacy within ImRs-A and ImRs-P by using participants’ autobiographical memories in an ImRs session, hypothesizing that ImRs-A will be more impactful. Results revealed higher mastery and self-efficacy levels right after the intervention and at a follow-up compared to pre-intervention levels. However, no difference was found between ImRs-A and ImRs-P. Thus, this study highlights that mastery and self-efficacy play a role within ImRs, while the approaches do not seem to impact the results’ significance differently.