Improving stress mindset through education and imagery

Abstract

Background: Research suggests interventions such as education and imagery can elicit a greater stress-is-enhancing mindset. The present study examined the individual and combined effect of stress-is-enhancing education and/or imagery delivered virtually in altering stress mindset. Three 3-minute online video interventions: (1) education, (2) imagery, (3) education with imagery were compared to each other and a control comparison. Design and Methods: Participants (N = 164; 103 = female; Mage = 20.03, SD = 1.39 years) completed the Stress Mindset Measure (SMM) before being randomly assigned to a group to watch a three-minute video and completing the SMM again. Results: The 2-time × 4-group ANOVA showed a significant time effect, F(1, 158) = 50.45, p