Can Applying the Science of Habit Formation to Contemplative Practice Improve Outcomes

NCT05866718 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2021-12-14924-2
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 497
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In the present study, the investigators will conduct a confirmatory efficacy trial to test whether improving practice automaticity (i.e., habit formation) of self-compassionate touch improves outcomes in the predicted direction. Adults (n=440, including 20% for attrition) will be randomly assigned to: (1) the self-compassionate touch intervention plus habit formation tools ("SCT+HABITS") versus (2) the self-compassionate touch intervention alone ("SCT"). The investigators will conduct assessments at baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. The SCT+HABITS condition will be used to evaluate whether providing habit formation tools results in superior effects to SCT. The intervention will be delivered entirely online.

Conditions

Psychopathology

Keywords

Self-Compassion; Single-Session Intervention; Transdiagnostic; Intervention; Habits; Habit Formation; Micropractice; Contemplative Micropractice; Contemplative Practice; Self-Compassionate Touch; Compassion

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Practice Frequency

  Number of times practiced self-compassion exercise per week since last assessment. 1 item. Higher frequency indicates a better outcome.

  Change from baseline to 3-month follow-up, and to 6-month followup

• Practice Automaticity (Practice Self-Report Behavioral Automaticity Index [SRBAI])

  4 items, 1-9 scale. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.

  Change from baseline to 3-month follow-up, and to 6-month follow-up.

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Self-Compassion (Sussex-Oxford Compassion for the Self Scale [SOCS-S])

  Change from baseline to 3-month follow-up, and to 6-month followup

• Self-Compassion Automaticity (Self-Compassion Self-Report Behavioral Automaticity Index [SRBAI])

  Change from baseline to 3-month follow-up, and to 6-month followup.

• Perceived Stress (Perceived-Stress Scale [PSS-10])

  Change from baseline to 3-month follow-up, and to 6-month followup

• Psychopathology (DSM-5 Cross-Cutting Measure [DSM-XC])

  Change from baseline to 3-month follow-up, and to 6-month followup

Other Outcomes (2)

• Barriers and Facilitators

  Assessed at 6-month followup

• Acceptability and Feasibility (Program Feedback Scale [PFS])

  Assessed at 6-month followup

Study Arms (2)

Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention Alone

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

All participants will receive the self-compassion intervention after completing their baseline assessment, which will contain the same instructions used in the initial study (see NCT05199779).

Behavioral: Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention

Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention Plus Habit Formation Tools

EXPERIMENTAL

SCT+HABITS participants will receive the abovementioned procedures, and will also receive evidence-based tools for forming habits.

Behavioral: Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention; Behavioral: Habit Formation Tools

Interventions

Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be taught the micropractice (\<20-second/day personal practice) via video recording.

Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention Alone; Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention Plus Habit Formation Tools

Habit Formation Tools BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive evidence-based tools for promoting habit-formation.

Self-Compassionate Touch Intervention Plus Habit Formation Tools

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• years of age or older.
• English language proficiency.
• Able and willing to give informed consent.
• Resides in the United States of America

You may not qualify if:

• Does not have email address or access to email.
• Does not personally own a smartphone device
• Not able/willing to participate in and/or complete the baseline assessments

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Berkeley: lead
• Mind and Life Institute, Hadley, Massachusetts: collaborator
• The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of California at Berkeley

Berkeley, California, 94720-1650, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Habits

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Eli S Susman

  University of California, Berkeley

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Study participants will not be made aware that there are two experimental conditions. All will be told that they are receiving the intervention.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants will be randomized to the SCT or SCT+HABITS using the randomizer elements in Qualtrics.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 10, 2023
• First Posted: May 19, 2023
• Study Start: June 14, 2023
• Primary Completion: September 22, 2024
• Study Completion: September 22, 2024
• Last Updated: December 31, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Data will be shared via the Open Science Framework by time of publication.
• Access Criteria: De-identified data, materials and analytic code will be made publicly available

Locations

US (1)