Afraid of failing? The reason may start in childhood
A new study from SWPS University in Warsaw examined 180 adults with a fear of failure and found that Imagery Rescripting, a technique based on difficult childhood memories, may reduce sadness, guilt, and fear of failure. Participants imagined an alternative scenario where a supportive figure protects the child, and the effect lasted months after the intervention.
A new study from SWPS University in Warsaw examined 180 adults aged 18 to 35 who reported a fear of failure. Over two weeks, participants underwent interventions focused on childhood memories related to harsh criticism. Some used Imagery Rescripting: they recalled a difficult memory, then imagined the same event unfolding differently, with a supportive figure arriving to protect the child and confront the critical person. The goal is not to erase the memory but to change how the person experiences it. Months after the treatment, researchers found reductions in sadness, guilt, and fear of failure, as well as a decrease in the physical response to difficult memories. The most significant effect appeared in those who altered the memory in imagination immediately after recalling it. Researchers speculate the reason is related to surprise: the brain expects the event to end as it did in reality, but this time it receives a different outcome, which may help create new cognitive connections. The study offers an interesting direction for coping with fear of failure, but it is a structured therapeutic intervention, and it is unclear whether self-practice would yield the same effect.