Comparing the Effectiveness of Reappraisal Strategies in Adult Participants

NCT07008209 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: E-71395021-050.04-50851
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 233
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which reappraisal strategy works better to reduce sadness and anxiety in emerging adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: What is the effect of emotion regulation strategies (reconstrual, repurposing) on short term negative emotions (anxiety, sadness)? Does the effectiveness of these strategies vary depending on the type of emotion (anxiety vs. sadness)? Are reconstrual and repurposing more effective compared to active and passive control conditions? What is the effect of these strategies on short-term positive emotions (e.g., hope, happiness)? Researchers will compare reconstrual and repurposing strategies to see which one is more effective in improving emotional outcomes. Participants will: be randomly assigned to one of eight conditions in a 4 (Regulation Strategy: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) × 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) factorial design. Complete online tasks and surveys about their emotions

Conditions

Depressive Symptoms; Emotional Dysregulation; Anxiety; Sadness; Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms

Keywords

emotion regulation; reappraisal; cognitive reappraisal; repurposing; reconstrual; anxiety; sadness; emerging adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Negative Affect

  (VAS; scale 0-100) Participants rate how intensely they feel a target negative emotion (sadness or anxiety) using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) from 0 ("Not at all") to 100 ("Extremely"). Assessment Points: Time 1: After reading the emotionally evocative vignette (baseline). Time 2: After completing the assigned emotion regulation strategy (post-intervention)

  Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention

• Change in valence and arousal

  Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) ratings \[Time Frame: Before vs. after intervention\] A nonverbal pictorial measure of emotional response that assesses two dimensions: Valence (pleasant-unpleasant) Arousal (high-low) on a 1-9 scale

  Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in Positive Affect

  Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention

• PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire)

  Baseline

• GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale)

  Baseline

Study Arms (8)

Sadness - Reconstrual

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm are exposed to sadness-related scenario and trained to use the reconstrual strategy, which involves reinterpreting the meaning of the situation to reduce negative emotions. Training is delivered online via Qualtrics and includes practice vignette. After training, participants apply reconstrual to the scenario to regulate their emotional response.

Behavioral: Reconstrual Strategy Training

Sadness - Repurposing

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants view sadness-related scenario and receive training in repurposing, which focuses on changing the goal to alleviate negative feelings. Training and practice exercises are provided online through Qualtrics before applying the strategy to the scenario.

Behavioral: Repurposing Strategy Training

Sadness - Active Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants are presented with sadness-related scenario followed by a writing distraction task designed to divert attention from negative emotions. This arm controls for the effect of engaging in an active cognitive task unrelated to emotion regulation.

Behavioral: Active Control

Sadness - Passive Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants view sadness-related scenario but do not receive any emotion regulation training or distraction tasks. This arm serves as a baseline to measure natural emotional change over time.

Anxiety - Reconstrual

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants are trained in reconstrual to reinterpret and reduce the perceived threat or negative appraisal of the situation and exposed to anxiety-inducing scenario. The online training includes practice vignette, followed by application of the strategy to the scenario.

Behavioral: Reconstrual Strategy Training

Anxiety - Repurposing

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants view anxiety-related scenarios and receive training in repurposing, which focuses on changing the goal to alleviate negative feelings. Training and practice exercises are provided online through Qualtrics before applying the strategy to the scenario.

Behavioral: Repurposing Strategy Training

Anxiety - Active Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants are presented with anxiety-related scenario followed by a writing distraction task designed to divert attention from negative emotions. This arm controls for the effect of engaging in an active cognitive task unrelated to emotion regulation.

Behavioral: Active Control

Anxiety - Passive Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants view anxiety-related scenario but do not receive any emotion regulation training or distraction tasks. This arm serves as a baseline to measure natural emotional change over time.

Interventions

Reconstrual Strategy Training BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive training in the reconstrual strategy, which involves recognizing and reinterpreting initial negative appraisals of emotionally challenging situations. The training guides participants to: Identify the situation and their initial negative interpretation. Generate alternative, balanced explanations that reduce negative emotional impact. The goal is to help participants view events from a different, realistic perspective to decrease negative emotions by modifying how they interpret situations.

Anxiety - Reconstrual; Sadness - Reconstrual

Repurposing Strategy Training BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive training in the repurposing strategy, which involves adjusting or replacing personal goals to better align with the current situation. The training guides participants to: Identify the situation and the original goal that was not met. Develop alternative, realistic goals or modify existing ones to reduce the emotional impact of unmet expectations. This approach helps participants manage negative emotions by creating meaningful, adaptable goals that fit the reality of the situation.

Anxiety - Repurposing; Sadness - Repurposing

Active Control BEHAVIORAL

Participants are asked to carefully copy a neutral descriptive passage without making any changes, focusing solely on transcription accuracy. This task serves as an active control by engaging participants in a cognitive task that requires attention and effort, but does not involve emotion regulation strategies. The task controls for the effects of engagement and time spent on a task without influencing participants' emotional processing.

Anxiety - Active Control; Sadness - Active Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18-30 years
• Fluent in Turkish
• No current psychiatric treatment or diagnosis (self-reported)
• Willingness to participate and provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• History of severe psychiatric or neurological disorders
• Current substance use disorder

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ibn Haldun University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ibn Haldun University

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (6)

• Samson AC, Kreibig SD, Soderstrom B, Wade AA, Gross JJ. Eliciting positive, negative and mixed emotional states: A film library for affective scientists. Cogn Emot. 2016 Aug;30(5):827-56. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2015.1031089. Epub 2015 May 1.

  PMID: 25929696 BACKGROUND

• Kam JWY, Wan-Sai-Cheong L, Zuk AAO, Mehta A, Dixon ML, Gross JJ. A brief reappraisal intervention leads to durable affective benefits. Emotion. 2024 Oct;24(7):1676-1688. doi: 10.1037/emo0001391. Epub 2024 Jun 20.

  PMID: 38900559 BACKGROUND

• Uusberg A, Yih J, Taxer JL, Christ NM, Toms T, Uusberg H, Gross JJ. Appraisal shifts during reappraisal. Emotion. 2023 Oct;23(7):1985-2001. doi: 10.1037/emo0001202. Epub 2023 Feb 6.

  PMID: 36745065 BACKGROUND

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Emotional Regulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Self-Control; Social Behavior

Study Officials

• Ayşe ALTAN-ATALAY, Assoc. Prof. Dr

  Kadir Has University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Burcu UYSAL, Assoc. Prof. Dr

  Ibn Haldun University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Masking Details: This study used an online platform (Qualtrics) to assign participants randomly to study arms and deliver interventions. Investigators are blinded to group allocation. Investigators do not have access to or control over assignment information during data collection, ensuring masking (single-blind design).
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD(c)

Model Details: This study uses a 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) × 4 (Strategy Type: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) between-subjects factorial design. Participants are randomly assigned to one of eight experimental groups. Each participant is exposed to an emotionally evocative scenario (either sadness or anxiety), followed by an intervention based on their assigned strategy condition. The aim is to examine the main and interaction effects of strategy type and emotion type on changes in emotional experience before and after the intervention. Study Type: Interventional Design: Randomized, 2 × 4 between-subject factorial design Factors: Emotion Type (Sadness vs. Anxiety) × Strategy (Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) Within-Subjects: Time (Post-Scenario vs. Post-Intervention) Allocation: Randomized Masking: Single-blind Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 29, 2025
• First Posted: June 6, 2025
• Study Start: September 21, 2025
• Primary Completion: January 5, 2026
• Study Completion: January 10, 2026
• Last Updated: March 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-05

Locations

TU (1)