Major Depressive Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
Research has shown that people suffering from MDD tend to maintain dysfunctional expectations despite experiences that disconfirm expectations. Recently, it has been shown that this persistence of expectations is due to maladaptive information processing involving cognitive immunization. This experimental study aims at testing three different strategies to inhibit cognitive immunization, in order to enhance expectation change.
Detailed description
It appears adaptive to change one's expectations when continuously gaining expectation-disconfirming experiences; however, research has shown that people suffering from MDD have difficulty in changing their expectations after experiences that disconfirm expectations. Recently, the investigators have shown that this persistence of expectations is due to maladaptive information processing involving cognitive immunization, defined as a cognitive reappraisal of expectation-disconfirming experiences in such a way that the individual's expectations are maintained. In view of psychotherapeutic interventions aiming to modify patients' dysfunctional expectations, effective strategies to inhibit cognitive immunization strategies need to be identified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare different immunization-inhibiting strategies with regard to their effectivity in enhancing expectation change. For this purpose, the investigators use a standardized experimental paradigm, which was developed and validated in a previous study.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALINFORMATION
After receiving expectation-disconfirming positive performance feedback, participants receive standardized information that stresses the relevance of this experience. In particular, participants are told that the performance test they worked on is highly relevant for both professional success and personal life satisfaction.
BEHAVIORALSALIENCE
After receiving expectation-disconfirming positive performance feedback, partcipants in this condition are instructed to remember how well they performed on the performance test. Using a visual analogue scale, they were asked to specify how they performed relative to the other participants.
BEHAVIORALATTENTION
Before working on the performance test, participants are instructed to pay attention to the feedback they receive. In particular, they are asked to enter what would be a personally good result for them. It is supposed that this shift of attention increases the salience of the expectation-disconfirming feedback.
BEHAVIORALCONTROL
This group does not receive any further intervention. Instead, participants of this group pass through the standard procedure of the EXPEC paradigm.
Sponsors
Philipps University Marburg
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Masking description
The investigator randomly assigns participants to one of the experimental conditions. Participants are not aware which experimental condition they are allocated to.
Intervention model description
Parallel Assignment Participants are assigned to one of four experimental groups in parallel for the duration of the study
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* current diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder * at least 18 years old * sufficient German language knowledge
Exclusion criteria
\- none
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Expectations Scale - generalized | Directly prior to the performance test and directly after completing the performance test | Change from Baseline to Postassessment in generalized performance expectations |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Expectations Scale - task-specific | Directly prior to the performance test and directly after completing the performance test | Change from Baseline to Postassessment in task-specific performance expectations |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed