Do therapeutic imagery practices affect physiological and emotional indicators of threat in high self-critics?
(2015) In Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 88(3). p.270-284- Abstract
Objectives Imagery is known to be a powerful means of stimulating various physiological processes and is increasingly used within standard psychological therapies. Compassion-focused imagery (CFI) has been used to stimulate affiliative emotion in people with mental health problems. However, evidence suggests that self-critical individuals may have particular difficulties in this domain with single trials. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the role of self-criticism in responsiveness to CFI by specifically pre-selecting participants based on trait self-criticism. Design Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 29 individuals from a total sample of 139 were pre-selected to determine how self-criticism... (More)
Objectives Imagery is known to be a powerful means of stimulating various physiological processes and is increasingly used within standard psychological therapies. Compassion-focused imagery (CFI) has been used to stimulate affiliative emotion in people with mental health problems. However, evidence suggests that self-critical individuals may have particular difficulties in this domain with single trials. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the role of self-criticism in responsiveness to CFI by specifically pre-selecting participants based on trait self-criticism. Design Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 29 individuals from a total sample of 139 were pre-selected to determine how self-criticism impacts upon an initial instance of imagery. Methods All participants took part in three activities: a control imagery intervention (useable data N = 25), a standard CFI intervention (useable data N = 25), and a non-intervention control (useable data N = 24). Physiological measurements (alpha amylase) as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding (i.e., the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Types of Positive Affect Scale, and the State Adult Attachment Scale) were taken before and after the different interventions. Results Following both imagery interventions, repeated measures analyses revealed that alpha amylase increased significantly for high self-critics compared with low self-critics. High self-critics (HSC) also reported greater insecurity on entering the imagery session and more negative CFI experiences compared with low self-critics. Conclusions Data demonstrate that HSC respond negatively to imagery interventions in a single trial. This highlights that imagery focused therapies (e.g., CFI) need interventions that manage fears, blocks, and resistances to the techniques, particularly in HSC.
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- author
- Duarte, Joana LU ; McEwan, Kirsten ; Barnes, Christopher ; Gilbert, Paul and Maratos, Frances A.
- publishing date
- 2015-09-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Alpha amylase, Imagery, Compassion-focused imagery (CFI), Self-criticism, Threat, Well-being, Anxious responding
- in
- Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
- volume
- 88
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 15 pages
- publisher
- British Psychological Society
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84939474338
- pmid:25347984
- ISSN
- 1476-0835
- DOI
- 10.1111/papt.12043
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2014 The British Psychological Society.
- id
- e9483659-2af4-4a68-a602-f8f5abee05c2
- date added to LUP
- 2021-11-18 13:04:32
- date last changed
- 2024-09-08 05:20:31
@article{e9483659-2af4-4a68-a602-f8f5abee05c2,
abstract = {{<p>Objectives Imagery is known to be a powerful means of stimulating various physiological processes and is increasingly used within standard psychological therapies. Compassion-focused imagery (CFI) has been used to stimulate affiliative emotion in people with mental health problems. However, evidence suggests that self-critical individuals may have particular difficulties in this domain with single trials. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the role of self-criticism in responsiveness to CFI by specifically pre-selecting participants based on trait self-criticism. Design Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 29 individuals from a total sample of 139 were pre-selected to determine how self-criticism impacts upon an initial instance of imagery. Methods All participants took part in three activities: a control imagery intervention (useable data N = 25), a standard CFI intervention (useable data N = 25), and a non-intervention control (useable data N = 24). Physiological measurements (alpha amylase) as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding (i.e., the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Types of Positive Affect Scale, and the State Adult Attachment Scale) were taken before and after the different interventions. Results Following both imagery interventions, repeated measures analyses revealed that alpha amylase increased significantly for high self-critics compared with low self-critics. High self-critics (HSC) also reported greater insecurity on entering the imagery session and more negative CFI experiences compared with low self-critics. Conclusions Data demonstrate that HSC respond negatively to imagery interventions in a single trial. This highlights that imagery focused therapies (e.g., CFI) need interventions that manage fears, blocks, and resistances to the techniques, particularly in HSC.</p>}},
author = {{Duarte, Joana and McEwan, Kirsten and Barnes, Christopher and Gilbert, Paul and Maratos, Frances A.}},
issn = {{1476-0835}},
keywords = {{Alpha amylase; Imagery, Compassion-focused imagery (CFI); Self-criticism; Threat; Well-being, Anxious responding}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{270--284}},
publisher = {{British Psychological Society}},
series = {{Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice}},
title = {{Do therapeutic imagery practices affect physiological and emotional indicators of threat in high self-critics?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/papt.12043}},
doi = {{10.1111/papt.12043}},
volume = {{88}},
year = {{2015}},
}