Major Depressive Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
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.
Detailed description
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.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALExpectation confirmation
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.
BEHAVIORALExpectation disconfirmation
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.
Sponsors
Philipps University Marburg
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
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
Participants are assigned to one of two experimental groups in parallel for the duration of the study
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
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
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2-Item Performance Expectations Scale - generalized | Immediately before the performance test and immediately after completion of the performance test | 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. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2-Item Performance Expectations Scale - task-specific | Immediately before the performance test and immediately after completion of the performance test | 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. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Item Cognitive Immunization after Performance Feedback (CIPF) scale | Immediately after completion of the performance test | Engagement in cognitive immunization strategies after receiving performance feedback. Each item is scored from 1 to 7 (1 = no cognitive immunization, 7 = great engagement in cognitive immunization), yielding a total score between 5 and 35. Higher total scores reflect a greater engagement in cognitive immunization strategies. |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed