Understanding Daily Fluctuations in Self-Regulation

NCT03006653 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 16-693
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 116
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Understanding Daily Fluctuations in Self-Regulation, also known as the Digital Marshmallow Test (DMT), is a collaboration by Northwell Health, Cornell Tech, and Sage Bionetworks. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this is a pioneering study to advance the science in identifying and helping individuals who act on short-term temptations, despite long-term consequences. Using Apple's ResearchKit(™) and Android's ResearchStack applications, the Digital Marshmallow Test will leverage the powerful capabilities of the smartphone to examine impulsivity using a range of game-like tasks and sensor capabilities within the mobile phone. Across studies, more impulsive individuals are significantly more likely to suffer from obesity, Type II Diabetes, substance abuse, gambling problems, suicidal behaviors, and increased criminality among many other problems. Early self-report studies reveal a relationship between the inability to delay gratification and different patterns of mobile phone use. This will be the first study to develop non-invasive mobile methods to identify and help those at greatest risk for impulsive responding before serious problems occur.

Conditions

Impulsive Behavior; Self-Regulation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Impulsivity

  Daily assessment of impulsivity.

  21 Days

Interventions

Assessment only BEHAVIORAL

Mobile ecological assessment only.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Participant must be fluent and able to read in English at the eight grade level, be between the ages of 18 and 75, be willing to provide informed consent, and own a mobile smartphone (iOS or Android) and are willing to receive and respond to text messages.

You may qualify if:

• be fluent and able to read in English at the eighth grade level (self-report and consent form quiz),
• be between the ages of 18 and 75 (self-report, age in demographics),
• be willing to provide informed consent, and
• own a mobile smartphone (iOS or Android) and are willing to receive and respond to text messages.

You may not qualify if:

• are pregnant or breast feeding,
• present with significant substance use which is defined as greater than once weekly use in the past month (for any substance other than alcohol, nicotine or caffeine) or greater than 21 standard alcoholic drinks per week for women and 24 for men,
• present with a serious psychiatric illness or suicide risk as measured by previous inpatient treatment, medications for psychosis or recent suicidality; a current self-reported or clinician determined diagnosis of Major Depression or past or present bipolar disorder, delusional disorder or schizophrenia, and/or
• are unable to understand research study procedures as evidenced a score of less than 4 out of 5 on the consent form quiz.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Northwell Health: lead
• Cornell University: collaborator
• Sage Bionetworks: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Center for Addiction Services and Personalized Interventions Research (CASPIR)

Great Neck, New York, 11021, United States

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Billieux J, van der Linden M, Rochat L. The role of impulsivity in actual and problematic use of the mobile phone. Applied Cognitive Psychology 22: 1195-1210, 2008.

  BACKGROUND

• Lazer D, Pentland A, Adamic L, Aral S, Barabasi AL, Brewer D, Christakis N, Contractor N, Fowler J, Gutmann M, Jebara T, King G, Macy M, Roy D, Van Alstyne M. Social science. Computational social science. Science. 2009 Feb 6;323(5915):721-3. doi: 10.1126/science.1167742. No abstract available.

  PMID: 19197046 BACKGROUND

• Wen H, Sobolev M, Vitale R, Kizer J, Pollak JP, Muench F, Estrin D. mPulse Mobile Sensing Model for Passive Detection of Impulsive Behavior: Exploratory Prediction Study. JMIR Ment Health. 2021 Jan 27;8(1):e25019. doi: 10.2196/25019.

  PMID: 33502330 DERIVED

• Sobolev M, Vitale R, Wen H, Kizer J, Leeman R, Pollak JP, Baumel A, Vadhan NP, Estrin D, Muench F. The Digital Marshmallow Test (DMT) Diagnostic and Monitoring Mobile Health App for Impulsive Behavior: Development and Validation Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021 Jan 22;9(1):e25018. doi: 10.2196/25018.

  PMID: 33480854 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Impulsive Behavior; Self-Control

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Social Behavior

Study Officials

• Frederick Muench, PhD

  Northwell Health

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 27, 2016
• First Posted: December 30, 2016
• Study Start: January 1, 2017
• Primary Completion: January 1, 2018
• Study Completion: January 1, 2018
• Last Updated: January 24, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)