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Changing the future: An initial test of Future Specificity Training (FeST).

D J Hallford1, J J E Yeow1, G Fountas1

  • 1School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Melbourne, Australia.

Behaviour Research and Therapy
|May 17, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study shows that Future Specificity Training (FeST) significantly improves episodic future thinking (EFT) abilities. The training enhanced the specificity and detail of future event simulations, offering a potential therapeutic approach.

Keywords:
Anticipatory pleasureEpisodic future thinkingFuture thinkingMental imageryPerceived controlSpecificity

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Psychiatric disorders often involve impaired episodic future thinking (EFT), specifically the simulation of future events.
  • Previous research has not established whether specific training can lead to lasting improvements in EFT.
  • Understanding and enhancing EFT is crucial for addressing cognitive deficits in various mental health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of a novel training program, Future Specificity Training (FeST), in improving episodic future thinking (EFT).
  • To determine if FeST can lead to sustained enhancements in the ability to simulate specific future events.
  • To explore the impact of FeST on various components of future thinking, including detail, mental imagery, and emotional anticipation.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 60 participants (mean age 31) allocated to either the FeST program or a wait-list control group.
  • The FeST program consisted of two group-based sessions focused on enhancing future thinking specificity.
  • Outcomes were assessed at follow-up, comparing the training group against the wait-list group on measures of EFT specificity and related cognitive-emotional factors.

Main Results:

  • Participants in the FeST group demonstrated significant improvements in simulating specific future events compared to the wait-list group (d = 0.82).
  • The training led to substantial increases in the detail (d = 1.32) and use of mental imagery (d = 1.32) in EFT.
  • FeST also enhanced anticipated pleasure (d = 1.78), anticipatory pleasure (d = 1.07), perceived control (d = 1.20), and likelihood of occurrence (d = 1.09).

Conclusions:

  • The study provides evidence that episodic future thinking (EFT) specificity can be effectively enhanced through targeted training.
  • The Future Specificity Training (FeST) program shows promise as an intervention to improve cognitive functions related to future simulation.
  • FeST may offer a potential therapeutic strategy for disrupting psychopathological processes associated with impaired EFT in psychiatric disorders.