Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms, Depressive Symptoms, Emotional Dysregulation, Sadness
Conditions
Keywords
emotion regulation, reappraisal, cognitive reappraisal, repurposing, reconstrual, anxiety, sadness, emerging adults
Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which reappraisal strategy works better to reduce sadness and anxiety in emerging adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: What is the effect of emotion regulation strategies (reconstrual, repurposing) on short term negative emotions (anxiety, sadness)? Does the effectiveness of these strategies vary depending on the type of emotion (anxiety vs. sadness)? Are reconstrual and repurposing more effective compared to active and passive control conditions? What is the effect of these strategies on short-term positive emotions (e.g., hope, happiness)? Researchers will compare reconstrual and repurposing strategies to see which one is more effective in improving emotional outcomes. Participants will: be randomly assigned to one of eight conditions in a 4 (Regulation Strategy: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) × 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) factorial design. Complete online tasks and surveys about their emotions
Detailed description
This study evaluates the effectiveness of two cognitive reappraisal strategies-reconstrual (reinterpreting the meaning of an event) and repurposing (modifying the personal goal related to the event)-in reducing negative affect and enhancing positive affect in response to emotion-evoking scenarios in emerging adults. Participants (at least N = 240) will be randomly assigned to one of eight groups in a 2 (Emotion: Sadness vs. Anxiety) × 4 (Strategy: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) between-subjects factorial design. Each participant will complete standardized emotional induction tasks via written scenarios, followed by their assigned intervention. Hypotheses H1: Negative emotions (sadness or anxiety) will significantly decrease following the intervention in the reconstrual and repurposing groups compared to the active and passive control groups. (Main effect of strategy on negative affect) H2: Positive emotions will increase more in the reconstrual and repurposing groups compared to the passive control group. (Main effect of strategy on positive affect) H3 (Exploratory): The effectiveness of reconstrual and repurposing strategies may vary by emotion type: Repurposing may be more effective in sadness scenarios. Reconstrual may be more effective in anxiety scenarios. (Emotion Type × Strategy interaction) H4: No significant emotional change is expected in the passive control group. (No time effect) Study Design Design Type: Experimental, between-subjects factorial design Design Structure: 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) × 4 (Strategy Condition: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) Participants: Minimum N = 240 (n = 30 per group), emerging adults (ages \ 18-30) Randomization: Random assignment to 1 of 8 groups Blinding: Participants are blind to condition purpose Type of Analysis: Mixed ANOVA Within-Subject Factor: Time (Post-Scenario vs. Post-Intervention) Between-Subject Factors: Emotion Type × Strategy Group Dependent Variables: Emotional ratings post-intervention (Negative affect (VAS/SAM: anxiety, sadness); Positive affect (VAS/SAM). Study Flow 1. Initial Assessment Demographics: Only name and age Baseline measures: Scale for contextual reappraisal (SCORE; for trait-level reconstrual and repurposing), GAD-7, PHQ-9 2. Neutral Stimulus A standardized neutral video from Samson et al. (2016) study. 3. Baseline Emotion Assesments: Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) 4. Random Group Assignment Participants randomly assigned to one of eight groups (n=30 per group): Sadness - Reconstrual Sadness - Repurposing Sadness - Active Control Sadness - Passive Control Anxiety - Reconstrual Anxiety - Repurposing Anxiety - Active Control Anxiety - Passive Control 5. Training Phase Strategy-specific training with a minimum 90-second reading time enforced Practice vignette with 30-second enforced reading and comprehension check Correct answers allow progression; incorrect answers trigger explanation and acknowledgment before continuing Participants rate prior use of the trained strategy in daily life 6. Scenario Exposure Participants read and imagine a standardized written scenario (sadness or anxiety) matched for intensity and controllability (based on pilot data) 40-second enforced reading time 7\. Self-Assessment and Rating VAS and SAM administered Ratings of scenario imaginability and controllability (0-100 scale) Participants write their first negative thoughts when imagining the scenario 8\. Application Phase Participants apply assigned emotion regulation strategy with 90-second minimum enforced duration Written brief explanation of alternative thoughts used Post-application ratings with VAS and SAM Participants rate effectiveness and belief in their reappraisal thoughts (0-100 scale) 9\. Manipulation Check In the form of two multiple-choice questions: Participants will be asked to select the instruction that best matched the guideline they received at the beginning of the experiment and to identify the general topic of the scenario they had visualized. 10\. Demographics: Exclusion criteria related questions 11. Debriefing Participants view debriefing statement
Interventions
BEHAVIORALReconstrual Strategy Training
Participants receive training in the reconstrual strategy, which involves recognizing and reinterpreting initial negative appraisals of emotionally challenging situations. The training guides participants to: Identify the situation and their initial negative interpretation. Generate alternative, balanced explanations that reduce negative emotional impact. The goal is to help participants view events from a different, realistic perspective to decrease negative emotions by modifying how they interpret situations.
BEHAVIORALRepurposing Strategy Training
Participants receive training in the repurposing strategy, which involves adjusting or replacing personal goals to better align with the current situation. The training guides participants to: Identify the situation and the original goal that was not met. Develop alternative, realistic goals or modify existing ones to reduce the emotional impact of unmet expectations. This approach helps participants manage negative emotions by creating meaningful, adaptable goals that fit the reality of the situation.
BEHAVIORALActive Control
Participants are asked to carefully copy a neutral descriptive passage without making any changes, focusing solely on transcription accuracy. This task serves as an active control by engaging participants in a cognitive task that requires attention and effort, but does not involve emotion regulation strategies. The task controls for the effects of engagement and time spent on a task without influencing participants' emotional processing.
Sponsors
Ibn Haldun University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Masking description
This study used an online platform (Qualtrics) to assign participants randomly to study arms and deliver interventions. Investigators are blinded to group allocation. Investigators do not have access to or control over assignment information during data collection, ensuring masking (single-blind design).
Intervention model description
This study uses a 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) × 4 (Strategy Type: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) between-subjects factorial design. Participants are randomly assigned to one of eight experimental groups. Each participant is exposed to an emotionally evocative scenario (either sadness or anxiety), followed by an intervention based on their assigned strategy condition. The aim is to examine the main and interaction effects of strategy type and emotion type on changes in emotional experience before and after the intervention. Study Type: Interventional Design: Randomized, 2 × 4 between-subject factorial design Factors: Emotion Type (Sadness vs. Anxiety) × Strategy (Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) Within-Subjects: Time (Post-Scenario vs. Post-Intervention) Allocation: Randomized Masking: Single-blind Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Aged 18-30 years * Fluent in Turkish * No current psychiatric treatment or diagnosis (self-reported) * Willingness to participate and provide informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* History of severe psychiatric or neurological disorders * Current substance use disorder
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Negative Affect | Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention | (VAS; scale 0-100) Participants rate how intensely they feel a target negative emotion (sadness or anxiety) using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) from 0 ("Not at all") to 100 ("Extremely"). Assessment Points: Time 1: After reading the emotionally evocative vignette (baseline). Time 2: After completing the assigned emotion regulation strategy (post-intervention) |
| Change in valence and arousal | Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention | Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) ratings \[Time Frame: Before vs. after intervention\] A nonverbal pictorial measure of emotional response that assesses two dimensions: Valence (pleasant-unpleasant) Arousal (high-low) on a 1-9 scale |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Positive Affect | Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention | (VAS; scale 0-100) |
| PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) | Baseline | Description: A 9-item measure of depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. Scoring: 0-27 total score Cutoffs: 5 = mild 10 = moderate 15 = moderately severe 20 = severe Use: may explain individual differences in affective response or strategy preference. |
| GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale) | Baseline | Description: A 7-item scale assessing anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks. Scoring: 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day); total score range: 0-21 Cutoffs: 5 = mild 10 = moderate 15 = severe Assessment Point: baseline Use: As a moderator variable to assess if baseline anxiety affects strategy effectiveness. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAyşe ALTAN-ATALAY, Assoc. Prof. Dr
Kadir Has University
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBurcu UYSAL, Assoc. Prof. Dr
Ibn Haldun University
Outcome results
None listed