Imagery Script Development Procedures Manual: Rajita Sinha, Ph.D. and Keri Tuit, Psy.D.

This script development procedures manual is for investigators interested in using the guided imagery induction method developed by Dr. Rajita Sinha, Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, Neurobiology and Child Study at Yale University. This method has been used in various studies by Dr. Sinha and colleagues, and other research laboratories across the world in exposing individuals to stress, appetitive cues, and neutral-relaxing cues. The method involves "re-living" a recent stressful, craving related, and neutral-relaxing personal event through guided imagery and recall. The imagery script development procedures are based on Lang's theory of emotional imagery. According to Lang, emotions are represented as networks in memory and include three kinds of information: (a) information about the specific stimulus content, (b) information about verbal, physiological and overt behavioral responses, and (c) interpretive information about the meaning of the stimulus and response elements of the emotional network. This manual provides the reader with instruction on all steps of script development, including learning how to conduct the script development interview, how to write up the final script, guidance on the audio recording of scripts, and information on research design using imagery scripts in study protocols. Information is also provided on attending script development trainings at the Yale Stress Center. Read more