Conclusion
calmness, anxiety, OLP
The present qualitative study is the first to provide insights into participants’ views and experiences on a novel IP intervention against test anxiety. Overall, the IP intervention was well-accepted (theme 1), easily applicable (theme 2) and manifold effects experienced on a physical, mental, and emotional level (theme 3) as well as characteristics of the imagination (theme 4) were described. Whereas some IP participants did not wish for a physical pill, either due to the absence of the central component of imagination within this intervention or because of a reluctance to real pills, others viewed the IP intake as cognitively and timely demanding, requiring concentration and calmness. This, on the other hand, promoted the therapeutic ritual, which was perceived as supportive and protective against the increase in test anxiety during the preparation phase. The OLP findings were in principle comparable to those of the IP group regarding overall acceptance, application, and effects. While IP effects, however, were mainly perceived during the learning phase, OLP effects increasingly appeared during the exam itself. In both groups, initial openness to the intervention was often accompanied by a certain amount of skepticism, while the treatment rationale was seen as important to counteract this ambivalence and build trust in these (new) interventions. Hence, the IP intervention seems to be an accepted, easy-to-apply, and cost-effective intervention and might serve as an imaginary-based alternative to OLPs. This warrants further investigations on IP application in both anxiety-related domains, as well as for other clinical and nonclinical conditions to harness placebo effects without a physical pill.