EXperimental Paradigm to Investigate Expectation Change in Depression 4

Philipps University Marburg171 enrolled

Overview

Research has shown that people with depressive symptoms maintain negative expectations even if they have positive experiences that contradict their expectations. Healthy people, however, change their expectations after unexpected positive experiences. In this experimental study, it will now be examined whether there are also differences between healthy people and people with depressive symptoms in dealing with unexpected negative experiences.

Research has already shown that people with depressive symptoms continue to hold on to negative expectations even if they have positive experiences that contradict their expectations. By contrast, healthy people change their expectations after unexpectedly positive experiences. In this experimental study, the authors will now examine whether there are also differences between healthy people and people with depressive symptoms in processing unexpectedly negative experiences. It is hypothesized that people with depressive symptoms change their expectations in a negative direction after unexpectedly negative experiences, while healthy people continue to hold on to an optimistic view.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

171

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder

Interventions

Expectation confirmationBEHAVIORAL

Participants receive manipulated feedback indicating that their performance was above average in the test they had previously worked on. This feedback is intended to confirm the previously induced positive expectations of their own performance.

Expectation disconfirmationBEHAVIORAL

Participants receive manipulated feedback indicating that their performance was below average in the test they had previously worked on. This feedback is intended to negatively disconfirm the previously induced positive expectations of their own performance.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria (clinical sample): * diagnosis of major depression * at least 18 years old * sufficient German language skills Exclusion Criteria (clinical sample): * participation in previous studies on changes in expectations Inclusion Criteria (healthy sample): * at least 18 years old * sufficient German language skills Exclusion Criteria (clinical sample): * participation in previous studies on changes in expectations * current diagnosis of any mental disorder * diagnosis of major depression in the past * currently receiving psychotherapeutic treatment

Locations (1)

Schoen Klinik Bad Arolsen

Bad Arolsen, Hesse, Germany

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

2-Item Performance Expectations Scale - generalized

Changes from baseline to postassessment in generalized performance expectations. Each item is scored from 1 to 7 (1 = very negative expectations, 7 = very positive expectations), yielding a total score between 2 and 14. Higher total scores reflect more positive expectations.

Time frame: Immediately before the performance test and immediately after completion of the performance test

Secondary Outcomes

2-Item Performance Expectations Scale - task-specific

Changes from baseline to postassessment in task-specific performance expectations. Each item is scored from 1 to 7 (1 = very negative expectations, 7 = very positive expectations), yielding a total score between 2 and 14. Higher total scores reflect more positive expectations.

Time frame: Immediately before the performance test and immediately after completion of the performance test

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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