# Childhood Memories Reduce Fear of Failure in Young Adults

> Therapy techniques using childhood memories cut fear of failure in young adults.
- Title: Childhood Memories Reduce Fear of Failure in Young Adults
- Summary: Therapy techniques using childhood memories cut fear of failure in young adults.
- Keywords: childhood memories, fear of failure, mental imagery therapy, young adults, university swps, institute nencki, frontiers in psychology, imagery rescripting, emotional activation, argentina, Infobae
- Source: Infobae — https://infobae.com/salud/ciencia/2026/11/06/un-estudio-mostro-que-trabajar-con-recuerdos-de-infancia-redujo-el-miedo-al-fracaso-en-adultos-jovenes
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: childhood memories, fear of failure, mental imagery therapy, young adults, university swps, institute nencki, frontiers in psychology, imagery rescripting, emotional activation, argentina, news
## Childhood Criticism Memories Impact Adulthood
Childhood experiences of criticism, neglect, or harsh reactions to mistakes can create lasting emotional burdens in adulthood.
## Study on Memory-Based Therapy
Researchers from University SWPS and Institute Nencki in Poland tested mental imagery techniques to modify emotional responses to childhood criticism memories.
## Study Participants and Design
The study included 180 young adults aged 18-35 with high levels of fear of failure, randomly assigned to three therapy groups for four sessions over two weeks.
## First Group: Exposure Technique
The first group used mental imagery exposure to recall distressing childhood experiences without altering the imagined scene.
## Second Group: Imagery Rescripting
The second group practiced imagery rescripting, imagining supportive figures confronting critics and protecting the child during distressing memories.
## Third Group: Delayed Rescripting
The third group received imagery rescripting with a ten-minute pause before reprocessing to assess impact on memory consolidation.
## Results: Reduced Fear and Activation
All groups showed reduced fear of failure, negative emotions, and physiological responses to childhood criticism memories after sessions and follow-ups.
## Physiological Measures
Skin conductance and salivary alpha-amylase levels decreased, indicating reduced stress activation linked to childhood criticism memories.
## No Single Technique Superior
The ten-minute pause did not show clear advantages over standard rescripting, though standard rescripting had more consistent benefits in some measurements.
## Therapy Does Not Erase Memories
The technique does not erase memories or reconstruct past events but modifies emotional responses to distressing childhood memories.
## Study Limitations
The study focused on young adults with high fear of failure, brief interventions, and six-month follow-ups, not general applications for all people.
## Key takeaway

A study shows that mental imagery therapy for childhood criticism memories reduces fear of failure in young adults with high levels of this fear.