Changing the Future: An Initial Test of Future Specificity Training (FeST)

Abstract

A range of psychiatric disorders are characterised by impairments in episodic future thinking (EFT), and particularly simulating specific, spatiotemporally-located future events. To date, no study has examined whether training can lead to sustained improvement in the specificity of EFT. In this study, participants (N=60; M age=31, SD=13.2) were randomized to a two-session, group-based program on future thinking (Future Specificity Training; FeST) or wait-list. At follow-up the training group, relative to the wait-list group, showed large, statistically-significant improvements in the ability to mentally simulate specific EFT (d=.82), as well as increases in detail (d=1.32), use of mental imagery (d=1.32), anticipated (d=1.78) and anticipatory pleasure (d=1.07), perceived control (d=1.20), and likelihood of occurrence (d=1.09). Some effects were also observed on positive, generalised future self-states. This study provides the first evidence that EFT specificity can be enhanced, and the effects of FeST on other variables indicate a possible avenue to disrupt psychopathological processes.

Improving Usual Care Outcomes in Major Depression in Youth by Targeting Memory Specificity: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Adjunct Computerised Memory Specificity Training (c-MeST)

“…Given the highly focused nature of the training, perhaps this is unsurprising. The lack of effect on future specificity also suggests that although these two thought processes overlap substantially, focused training may be needed in order to see improvements, for example with recent Future Thinking Specificity Training (FeST; Hallford, Yeow, et al, 2020)…”

Reducing Anhedonia in Major Depressive Disorder with Future Event Specificity Training (FEST): A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…They were supervised by the first author, a registered clinical psychologist. The training was adapted for use in a clinical depression population from the previous manualised version used in a community sample (Hallford, Yeow, et al, 2020). Both manuals are open access and available online (https://osf.io/mq6y3/).…”

“…Anticipatory and anticipated pleasure were assessed as distinct constructs given their conceptual differences (Baumgartner et al, 2008) and empirical distinction in their associations with behavioural intentions and phenomenological characteristics of EFT (Barsics et al, 2016;Baumgartner et al, 2008). The items were taken from previous studies examining prospective emotions in clinical (Hallford, Barry, et al, 2020;Hallford, Sharma, et al, 2020) and non-clinical samples (Hallford, Yeow, et al, 2020) where they have demonstrated convergent, divergent, and construct validity.…”

“…Participants are guided within specific future thinking to generate rich detail, as well as to use mental imagery and accentuate feelings that are associated with imagined future events. The results from an initial community sample study showed large, controlled effects on future thinking specificity, detail, and imagery at follow-up (Hallford, Yeow, et al, 2020). Further, it increased the anticipation of pleasure from future events, and the feeling of pleasure when thinking about future events (anticipatory pleasure).…”

“…Recently, we have tested and validated a brief intervention designed to improve characteristics of future thinking associated with the ability to anticipate and experience pleasure (Hallford, Yeow, et al, 2020). This intervention, called Future Event Specificity Training (FEST), involves two group-based sessions of training to improve the simulation of specific (i.e., spatiotemporally located) future events, as well as associated detail and the use of mental imagery.…”