WRITE: Written Imaginal Thinking Exercise Study (WRITE)

Written Imaginal Thinking Exercise (WRITE) Study

The purpose of the study is to investigate and compare the effects of three different versions of a future imaginal writing exercise (worst-case scenario, neutral future scenario, best-case scenario) for individuals with elevated social anxiety symptoms. Participants (N=270) will be recruited through the online platform, Prolific, and will be randomly assigned to one of three writing exercise conditions. Participants will complete three study sessions across approximately three weeks. Study session 1 (T1) will consist of baseline assessments and pre-writing ratings, a future imaginal writing exercise, and then post-writing ratings. Study session 2 (T2) will occur approximately one week later and will consist of mid-study assessments and pre-writing ratings, a second, repeated future imaginal writing exercise, and then post-writing ratings. Finally, study session 3 (T3) will occur approximately one week later (approximately two weeks after T1) and will consist of follow-up assessments and repeated post-writing ratings.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Stress; Anxiety; Social Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Worst-Case Scenario Written Exposure Exercise; Behavioral: Neutral Future Scenario Written Exercise; Behavioral: Best-Case Scenario Written Exposure Exercise

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 270
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Colorado
    • Boulder, Colorado, United States, 80309
      • University of Colorado Boulder

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• English fluency
• Previous high-quality Prolific submission experience
• Elevated social anxiety symptoms

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hospitalization for psychiatric reasons within the past year
• Previous suicide attempt or self-harm
• Previous treatment for severe head injury or past repeated serious head injury
• Current psychosis symptoms
• Elevated trauma symptoms

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Worst-Case Scenario	Behavioral: Worst-Case Scenario Written Exposure Exercise; Written exposure exercise about an imagined future worst-case scenario.
Active Comparator: Neutral Future Scenario	Behavioral: Neutral Future Scenario Written Exercise; Written exercise about an imagined neutral future scenario.
Experimental: Best-Case Scenario	Behavioral: Best-Case Scenario Written Exposure Exercise; Written exposure exercise about an imagined future best-case scenario.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)	Social anxiety symptom severity, range: 0-68 total, higher scores indicate higher social anxiety symptom severity.	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8)	Depression symptom severity, range: 0-24 total, higher scores indicate higher depression symptom severity.	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.
Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS)	General anxiety symptom severity, range: 0-20 total, higher scores indicate higher general anxiety symptom severity.	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.
Social Approach Motivation	Self-reported rating of motivation for social approach over the next week. Rating ranges from 0 (not motivated at all) to 100 (extremely motivated).	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-10)	Positive and negative affect, range: 5-25 each (total score), higher scores indicate higher positive and negative affect.	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.
Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ): Catastrophizing and Positive Reappraisal subscales	Use of catastrophizing and positive reappraisal cognitive emotion regulation strategies, range: 1-5 each (average score), higher score reflects higher degree of use of strategy.	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.
Threat-related prediction ratings	Self-reported ratings of 1) likelihood of feared situation avoidance, 2) likelihood of feared outcome occurrence, 3) predicted intensity of feared outcome occurrence, 4) likelihood of best possible outcome occurrence, and 5) predicted intensity of best possible outcome occurrence. All ratings range from 0 (0% likely/not bad at all/not good at all) to 100 (100% likely/as bad as I can possibly imagine/as good as I can possibly imagine).	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.
State emotion ratings	Self-reported state ratings of 1) positive affect, and 2) anxiety. All ratings range from 0 (not positive/anxious at all) to 100 (extremely positive/anxious).	Baseline through study completion, an average of 3 weeks.
Writing exercise experience ratings - writing qualities	Self-reported ratings of vividness/detail and effort of the writing. All ratings range from 0 (not at all) to 100 (extremely), higher scores reflect greater vividness/detail and effort.	After each writing exercise, an average of 2 weeks.
Writing exercise experience ratings - perceived learning	Self-reported ratings of perceived learning and perspective shift from the writing exercises. All ratings range from 0 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Higher scores reflect greater perceived learning and perspective shift.	After each writing exercise, an average of 2 weeks.
Behavioral approach/avoidance	Single self-reported rating of willingness to engage in a feared situation. Binary yes/no response, where yes indicates willingness to approach and no indicates avoidance.	At the final study session, approximately 3 weeks after Baseline.
Program feedback ratings - overall	Ratings assessing overall program feedback (range: 0-28, higher scores reflect more positive overall program feedback).	At the final study session, approximately 3 weeks after Baseline.
Program feedback ratings - perceived benefit	Rating assessing perceived benefit of the writing exercises (range: 0-4, higher scores reflect higher perceived benefit).	At the final study session, approximately 3 weeks after Baseline.
Program feedback ratings - likelihood of future use	Rating assessing likelihood of future use of writing exercises (range: 0-100, higher scores reflect higher likelihood of future use).	At the final study session, approximately 3 weeks after Baseline.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Colorado, Boulder

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 21, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 2, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 5, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 28, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 27, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 25-0771

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No