NCT02214264

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of several brief trainings based on contemplative practices and positive psychology to buffer against the negative effects that acute stress has on behavior and cognitive abilities. The investigators hypothesize that training will buffer against negative effects of acute stress.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
172

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Oct 2014

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 31, 2014

Completed
12 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 12, 2014

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

October 1, 2014

Completed
7 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

May 1, 2015

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

May 1, 2015

Completed
Last Updated

May 23, 2019

Status Verified

May 1, 2019

Enrollment Period

7 months

First QC Date

July 31, 2014

Last Update Submit

May 21, 2019

Conditions

Stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (14)

  • Change from baseline performance on Operational Span task

    Baseline and 10 minutes following post stress induction

  • Change from baseline in time spent on hand grip self regulation task

    Baseline and 30 minutes post stress induction

  • Change from baseline on likeability ratings of neutral stimuli

    Baseline and 1 minute post stress induction

  • Number of trials completed in optional Generosity task

    40 minutes post stress induction

  • Positive and Negative Affect Schedule ratings at baseline

    Baseline

  • Positive and Negative Affect Schedule ratings after pre-test measures

    2 minutes before training

  • Positive and Negative Affect Schedule ratings after training

    1 minute after training

  • Positive and Negative Affect Schedule ratings after stress induction

    1 minute after stress induction

  • Positive and Negative Affect Schedule ratings after post-test

    1 minute after post-test measures

  • Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test at baseline

    Baseline

  • Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test after pre-test measures

    2 minutes before training

  • Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test after training

    1 minute after training

  • Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test after stress induction

    1 minute after stress induction

  • Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test after post-test

    1 minute after post-test

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Participant interest in participating in future training

    40 minutes post stress induction

Study Arms (4)

Loving-Kindness training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive Loving-Kindness meditation training for approximately 12 minutes.

Behavioral: Loving-Kindness meditation training

Breath Awareness training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive Breath Awareness meditation training for approximately 12 minutes.

Behavioral: Breath Awareness meditation training

Gratitude training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive Gratitude training for approximately 12 minutes.

Behavioral: Gratitude

Control

OTHER

Participants write and then think about the physical space in which they live (i.e., their home) for approximately 12 minutes.

Behavioral: Control

Interventions

Loving-Kindness meditation trainingBEHAVIORAL

Participants undergo training for approximately 12 minutes. Training involves guided reflections and intentions related to feeling loving-kindness towards the self and others.

Loving-Kindness training
Breath Awareness meditation trainingBEHAVIORAL

Participants undergo training for approximately 12 minutes. Training involves guided awareness focused on sensations of breathing.

Breath Awareness training
GratitudeBEHAVIORAL

Participants undergo training for approximately 12 minutes. Training involves reflections of gratitude for people, events, and things in one's life.

Gratitude training
ControlBEHAVIORAL

Participants will write and then think about the physical space in which they live (i.e., their home) for approximately 12 minutes.

Control

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • undergraduate psychology recruitment pool

You may not qualify if:

  • non-native English speakers, pregnant women

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, Wisconsin, 53705, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Goldberg SB, Flook L, Hirshberg MJ, Davidson RJ, Schaefer SM. Brief breath awareness training yields poorer working memory performance in the context of acute stress. Cogn Emot. 2021 Aug;35(5):1009-1017. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2021.1878113. Epub 2021 Jan 29.

    PMID: 33509056DERIVED

Study Officials

  • Stacey Schaefer

    University of Wisconsin, Madison

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 31, 2014

First Posted

August 12, 2014

Study Start

October 1, 2014

Primary Completion

May 1, 2015

Study Completion

May 1, 2015

Last Updated

May 23, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-05

Locations

US(1)