Studies on impro
Impro is not just a theatrical art form; it’s a mindset and a powerful tool for personal and corporate development.
Rooted in spontaneity and collaboration, impro empowers individuals to navigate life’s uncertainties with confidence, creativity, and joy. At Improving Playfully, we harness the principles of improvisation to foster personal growth, build connections, and cultivate a playful approach to life. Our focus on adaptive communication skills help enhance relationships by promoting flexible responses to change, strengthening the capacity to cope with uncertainty and crisis intervention, and fostering a wide variety of skills —including empathy, affirmation, collaboration, and authenticity.
Research shows that impro offers many psychological benefits. These range from activating creativity, boosting brain connectivity to developing psychological safety in teams, decreasing stress and anxiety, and many more.
But don’t just take our word for it. Scroll down to find links to actual studies supporting these claims.

Boost creativity and innovation
By embracing the unexpected and thinking on your feet, you unlock new pathways to innovation in your personal and professional life.

Enhance communication skills
Impro sharpens your ability to express ideas clearly and listen actively. Improved communication fosters better relationships, both socially and in the workplace.

Develop emotional intelligence
Research suggests that participation in improvisation correlates with increased emotional intelligence. Gain a deeper understanding of emotions, yours and others', leading to more meaningful connections.
Supported by science
Supported by science
While improv theatre benefits are often discussed anecdotally, scientific research has explored the cognitive, emotional, and social impacts. Here are some benefits of improvisation theatre with references to scientific sources:
- Increased creativity
- Developing emotional intelligence
- Improv experience promotes divergent thinking, uncertainty tolerance, and affective well-being
- Fostering psychological safety: Using improvisation as a team building tool in management education
- Enhanced Cognitive Flexibility
- Reducing Anxiety
- Developing skills of communication, teamwork, self-awareness, mindfulness
- Stress reduction
- Boosted self-esteem and confidence
- Improved problem-solving skills
- Applied improvisation in mental health
Scientific studies provide valuable insights, but improv is best to be experienced in real-time, so personal experiences and anecdotes can also be powerful indicators of its benefits.
Which course is best for you?
PUBLIC COURSES
- Different experience options
- Focus on spontaneity,
mindfulness, connection,
character development,
storytelling, self-confidence,
self-efficacy, and more. - Location: Reykjavík
- Max. 16 participants
- Unions refund up to 90%
- Your first session is FREE!
BUSINESS WORKSHOPS
- Tailored workshops to your needs
- Experiential learning
- Elevate creativity, presentation skills, innovative thinking, adaptability …
- Structured debriefing for integration
- Variety of group sizes
- Location: Reykjavík/your business
- FREE personal meeting to discuss your needs and wishes.