Open AccessImagery Rescripting Helps Victims Cope With Experienced Injustice
Author(s) -
Mathias Twardawski,
Mario Gollwitzer,
Marlene Sophie Altenmüller,
Anna E. Kunze,
Charlotte E. Wittekind
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
zeitschrift für psychologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.037
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 2190-8370
pISSN - 2151-2604
DOI - 10.1027/2151-2604/a000450
Subject(s) - injustice , empowerment , psychology , affect (linguistics) , economic justice , social psychology , political science , communication , law
. In clinical psychology, imagery rescripting (ImRs) is a promising intervention to target negative emotional memories after victimization experiences. The present research tested the effects of ImRs in “minor” cases of experienced injustice. After imagining being the victim of an injustice, participants ( N = 272) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a univariate design (treatment: active ImRs, passive ImRs; control: pleasant imagery, imagery rehearsal). Dependent variables were positive and negative affect; mediator variables were justice-related satisfaction and empowerment. Both justice-related satisfaction and empowerment increased positive and decreased negative affect, but empowerment was higher in the active than in the passive ImRs condition (while justice-related satisfaction was increased by both ImRs conditions). These results suggest that ImRs can be beneficial even in minor victimization experiences and that these beneficial effects are mediated by both empowerment and justice-related satisfaction.