Investigating profiles of positive and negative imagery ability with stress-related outcomes

Imagery is a common technique used to regulate stress and its associated emotions. Although imagery ability is proposed to influence imagery's effectiveness and be associated with stress-related outcomes, research has yet to identify profiles of positive and negative imagery ability.

To explore whether profiles of positive and negative imagery ability exist and evaluate their effects on stress-related outcomes.

Two studies were conducted.

A large cross-sectional study (N = 663; Study 1) employed multivariate cluster analysis to investigate imagery ability profiles and their associations with self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression. A follow-up experimental study (N = 271; Study 2) aimed to replicate these profiles and examine their effects on psychological responses to guided imagery designed to elicit challenge and threat appraisals.

Three profiles were identified: Higher overall imagers, higher positive/lower negative imagers, and lower overall imagers. Higher positive/lower negative imagers demonstrated a capacity for stress regulation via lower perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, skillful utilization of positive imagery, and resilience to negative imagery.

These findings could inform future studies and applied practice by guiding development of targeted interventions to enhance specific imagery abilities, thus improving general wellbeing and optimizing guided imagery for stress coping.