This study aims to assess 1) the effect of viewing a film clip of a school-related stressor on students’ mood, and to test whether a positive guided imagery (PGI) can reduce it; 2) the effect of a mood-induction procedure (MIP) and PGI on basic academic performance; 3) if students with different degrees of school adaptation perform differently after experiencing the MIP and PGI. Participants were 205 students (103 girls) aged between 8 and 13 years, recruited in primary and lower secondary schools in Northern Italy. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups undergoing: 1) only MIP, and 2) MIP followed by PGI