Using Implementation Intentions to Self-incentivise Weight-loss

NCT03522727 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Davids/Coulthard_1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 79
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The aim of the present research is to test the effect of helping people to reward themselves when they have successfully lost weight and the impact this will have on subsequent weight. Each participant will be randomly allocated to one of four conditions. The trial requires 200 participants to perform a fully powered statistical analysis. The four conditions are: (1) a control condition, (2) intervention 1 (form a single self-incentivising implementation intention from a drop-down menu), (3) intervention 2 (form multiple self-incentivising implementation intentions from a drop-down menu), or (4) intervention 3 (asked to form a single self-incentivising implementation intention of their own devising). The main outcome measure will be BMI, which will be self-reported.

Conditions

Overweight

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Body Mass Index

  Self-reported

  4 weeks

• Actual Use of Self-Rewards

  Self-reported

  4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Capabilities, opportunities and motivations

  4 weeks

Study Arms (4)

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire.

Intervention 1

EXPERIMENTAL

Single self-incentivising implementation intention After completing a questionnaire, participants will be asked to form a self-incentivising implementation intention: Research shows that rewarding yourself for success can help you to lose weight, but that people often forget to reward themselves. We want you to plan to reward yourself if you achieve your personal weight-loss goal, at the end of 4 weeks. To help you do this, we would like you to complete the following sentence by telling us how you will reward yourself. Please complete the following sentence with a reward of your own choosing. If I lose at least \_\_\_lbs/kg by the end of 4 weeks, then I will reward myself by… \*\*Drop down menu\*\* Learning a new skill...

Behavioral: Single self-incentivising implementation intention

Intervention 2

EXPERIMENTAL

Multiple self-incentivising implementation intentions After completing a questionnaire, participants will be asked to form self-incentivising implementation intentions: Research shows that rewarding yourself for success can help you to lose weight, but that people often forget to reward themselves. We want you to plan to reward yourself if you achieve your personal weight-loss goal, at the end of 4 weeks. To help you do this, we would like you to complete the following sentence by telling us how you will reward yourself. You can choose as many rewards as you like! Please complete the following sentence with a reward of your own choosing. If I lose at least \_\_\_lbs/kg by the end of 4 weeks, then I will reward myself by… and/or… \*\*Drop down menu\*\* Learning a new skill...

Behavioral: Multiple self-incentivising implementation intentions

Intervention 3

EXPERIMENTAL

Self-generated self-incentivising implementation intentions After completing a questionnaire, participants will be asked to form a self-incentivising implementation intention: Research shows that rewarding yourself for success can help you to lose weight, but that people often forget to reward themselves. We want you to plan to reward yourself if you achieve your personal weight-loss goal, at the end of 4 weeks. To help you do this, we would like you to complete the following sentence by telling us how you will reward yourself. Please complete the following sentence with a reward of your own choosing. If I lose at least \_\_\_lbs/kg by the end of 4 weeks, then I will reward myself by…

Behavioral: Self-generated self-incentivising implementation intentions

Interventions

Single self-incentivising implementation intention BEHAVIORAL

Participants are asked to form a single self-incentivising implementation intention (if-then plans)

Intervention 1

Multiple self-incentivising implementation intentions BEHAVIORAL

Participants are asked to form multiple self-incentivising implementation intentions (if-then plans)

Intervention 2

Self-generated self-incentivising implementation intentions BEHAVIORAL

Participants are asked to form a self-incentivising implementation intention (if-then plans) without a drop-down menu

Intervention 3

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 100 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18+

You may not qualify if:

• Unable or unwilling to complete questionnaire

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Manchester: lead

Study Sites (2)

Online study

Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom

Location

University of Manchester

Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Overweight

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Christopher Armitage, PhD

  University of Manchester

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Health Psychology

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 1, 2018
• First Posted: May 11, 2018
• Study Start: May 4, 2018
• Primary Completion: July 25, 2018
• Study Completion: August 31, 2018
• Last Updated: October 23, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-10

Locations

GB (2)