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Racial Discrimination, Pain, and the Buffering Influences of Acknowledgment

Racial Discrimination, Pain, and the Buffering Influences of Acknowledgment

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06113926
Enrollment
92
Registered
2023-11-02
Start date
2022-09-01
Completion date
2023-01-31
Last updated
2023-11-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pain, Acute

Keywords

discrimination, racism

Brief summary

Black young adults (aged 18-30; N = 92) were racially included (i.e., received the ball an equal number of times) or excluded (i.e., received the ball only once) by other White players in a ball-tossing computer game called Cyberball; White experimenters acknowledged the exclusion for half of the excluded participants. Participants completed a cold-pressor task twice to measure pain sensitivity (threshold, tolerance, and unpleasantness): immediately prior, and after the Cyberball (and acknowledgment) manipulation. Participants also completed a post-manipulation survey examining the psychological effects of racial exclusion and acknowledgment (i.e., psychological needs satisfaction, negative affect, control).

Interventions

OTHERBystander Acknowledgment

The experimenter said That is so messed up that they excluded you in the task. And honestly, I would say it was racist… acknowledgment of the participants experience, …this shouldn't have happened, and I'm really sorry it did… an apology, and …I'm going to talk to the primary investigators of the study to figure out how we can make sure that this won't happen to other people a plan of action.

Sponsors

Psi Chi
CollaboratorOTHER
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
D.C. Psychological Association
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
George Washington University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Intervention model description

Three independent groups

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Participants identify as Black/African American * Age 18-30

Exclusion criteria

* Past 30-day persistent pain * Cardiovascular or circulatory disorders * Diabetes * Current pregnancy * Open sores/frostbite on nondominant hand

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain Threshold measured with a cold pressor taskMeasured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).Time (in seconds) from the participant places their hand in cold water, to telling the experimenter they are experiencing pain.
Pain ToleranceMeasured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).Time (in seconds) from the participant places their hand in cold water, to when they remove their hand from the water.
Pain unpleasantnessMeasured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).Measured with a the McGill-Pain Questionnaire Short Form, the degree of unpleasantness the participant reports from the pain.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Self Control subscaleMeasured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Self esteem subscaleMeasured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Belongingness subscaleMeasured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Meaningful Existence subscaleMeasured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 8, 2026