This study looks at the moments when college students feel a strong emotional swing, and how those moments relate to reacting online when upset, drinking alcohol, and eating in response to emotions. Participants wear a wrist device and answer brief check-ins on their phone several times a day for about five weeks. During part of that time, a study app sometimes sends a short coping message at moments when the wrist device and check-ins suggest emotions are shifting quickly. Whether a message is sent at any given moment is decided at random, and the study compares what participants do in the short window afterward. The study is a pilot designed to test whether the approach is feasible and to estimate how large its effects are.
REACT is a five-week micro-randomized trial in University of Florida students age 18 and older. Participants complete a baseline battery, wear a Garmin Venu 3, and respond to five to six smartphone check-ins per day. Week one is a no-prompt run-in that establishes each participant's own baseline distribution of momentary affective variability, indexed by the mean square of successive differences on consecutive affect ratings. From week two through week five, the app evaluates up to six decision points per day. A decision point is flagged when the participant's current variability exceeds their own 80th percentile threshold, computed within person rather than against a group average. At each available decision point the app randomizes with probability 0.5 whether to deliver a brief coping message, and if so selects a message type from those eligible in that context. Availability rules exclude sleep, stale device data, a 60-minute cooldown, a daily cap, and any safety override. Proximal outcomes are drawn from the first check-in within two hours after the decision point. Analysis uses weighted and centered least squares to estimate causal excursion effects, with pre-specified moderators.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
80
A single short message of one to three sentences delivered to the participant's smartphone at a randomized decision point, taking roughly fifteen to thirty seconds to read. Messages apply cognitive-behavioral techniques including thought records, perspective-taking, decatastrophizing, cost-benefit checks, implementation intentions, and behavioral redirection, or acceptance-based techniques including cognitive defusion, acceptance, values anchoring, urge surfing, and present-moment grounding. Delivery is capped at four messages per day with a minimum sixty-minute interval and is confined to participant-set waking hours. Messages may be dismissed without responding.
A brief neutral acknowledgment message matched to the coping messages on delivery mechanism and approximate length, containing no coping technique or behavioral suggestion.
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, United States
Momentary urge to post or reply reactively, score on a 7-point scale.
Self-reported urge to post or reply about something upsetting, rated 1 to 7 at the first check-in within two hours after a randomized decision point. Higher scores indicate greater urge. Analyzed as a causal excursion effect comparing decision points at which a coping message was delivered with those at which it was not.
Time frame: Within 2 hours after each randomized decision point, across weeks 2 to 5.
Momentary urge to drink alcohol, score on a 7-point scale.
Self-reported current urge to drink alcohol, rated 1 to 7 at the first check-in within two hours after a randomized decision point. Higher scores indicate greater urge. Analyzed as a causal excursion effect.
Time frame: Within 2 hours after each randomized decision point, across weeks 2 to 5.
Momentary emotional influence on eating, score on a 7-point scale.
Self-reported rating of how much emotions influenced eating since the previous check-in, rated 1 to 7 at the first check-in within two hours after a randomized decision point. Analyzed as a causal excursion effect.
Time frame: Within 2 hours after each randomized decision point, across weeks 2 to 5.
Momentary reactive online behavior since the previous check-in, self-reported occurrence
Self-reported occurrence of posting or replying while upset since the previous check-in, reported yes or no at the first check-in within two hours after a randomized decision point.
Time frame: Within 2 hours after each randomized decision point, across weeks 2 to 5.
Number of standard drinks consumed since the previous check-in, self-reported count
Self-reported number of standard drinks consumed since the previous check-in.
Time frame: Within 2 hours after each randomized decision point, across weeks 2 to 5.
Loss-of-control eating rating, score on a 7-point scale
Self-reported sense of losing control while eating since the previous check-in, rated 1 to 7.
Time frame: Within 2 hours after each randomized decision point, across weeks 2 to 5
Proportion of scheduled check-ins completed
Number of completed check-ins divided by number of scheduled check-ins. Pre-registered feasibility benchmark is 75 percent.
Time frame: Through study completion, approximately 5 weeks per participant.
Proportion of delivered prompts receiving a response
Number of prompts receiving a rating response divided by number of prompts delivered. Pre-registered benchmark is 60 percent.
Time frame: Through study completion, approximately 5 weeks per participant.
Proportion of waking hours with valid wearable data
Hours of valid physiological data divided by estimated waking hours. Pre-registered benchmark is 80 percent.
Time frame: Through study completion, approximately 5 weeks per participant.
Proportion of enrolled participants retained to study end.
Number of participants completing the study divided by number enrolled. Pre-registered benchmark is 85 percent.
Time frame: Through study completion, approximately 5 weeks per participant.
Prompt helpfulness rating, score on a 7-point scale
Participant rating of how helpful the coping prompts were, rated 1 to 7.
Time frame: Week 3 and end of study, approximately week 5.
System Usability Scale total score.
System Usability Scale (Brooke, 1996) total score, range 0 to 100, higher scores indicating better usability.
Time frame: End of study, approximately week 5.
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