A Single Session Intervention Leveraging an Ultra-Brief Exercise for Building Self-Compassion Habits-A Randomized Controlled Trial

University of California, Berkeley1 site in 1 country135 target enrollmentStarted: February 13, 2022Last updated: May 17, 2022

Conditions

Interventions

Trial Snapshot

Phase: Not Applicable
Status: Completed
Sponsor: University of California, Berkeley
Enrollment: 135
Locations: 1
Primary Endpoint: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)

Study Overview Study Design Eligibility Criteria Arms & Interventions Outcomes Investigators Sites Records & Identifiers Similar Trials

Study Overview

Brief Summary

The study will test a single session self-compassion intervention that leverages an ultra-brief contemplative exercise. It will evaluate the effect of this intervention on psychopathology, stress, growth mindset, positive affect, self-compassion and the automaticity of self-compassion, as well as the relationships between these constructs and the automaticity of self-compassion. The participants will be undergraduate students at a large public university.

Detailed Description

The broad aims of the proposed research is to examine the outcomes of a single session psychological intervention and to further understand processes and factors associated with habit formation. undergraduate students at a large university will be randomly assigned to a self-compassion intervention (SCI), or an active control (AC), and complete assessments at baseline (pre-treatment) and 4 weeks later (post-treatment).

The investigators seek to examine the following: (A1) Determine whether the group who receives the SCI, relative to the AC, will experience increased self-compassion, growth mindset and positive affect, as well as reduced stress and psychopathology. (A2) Evaluate whether the SCI group shows greater increases in automaticity of self-compassion compared to the AC pre- to post-treatment. (A3) Assess whether greater pre- to post-treatment increases in automaticity of self-compassionate are associated with increased self-compassion, growth mindset, and positive affect, as well as reductions in stress and psychopathology.

The investigators hypothesize the following: (H1) SCI will promote greater increases in self-compassion, growth mindset, and positive affect, as well as greater reductions in stress and psychopathology from pre- to post-treatment, relative to AC. (H2) The SCI group will show greater increases in the automaticity of self-compassion than AC from pre- to post-treatment. (H3) Greater increases in the automaticity of self-compassion from pre- to post-treatment will be predicted by greater increases in self-compassion, growth mindset, and positive affect, as well as greater decreases in psychopathology and stress, from pre- to post treatment. To further understand the results obtained, the investigators will evaluate participants' frequency, adherence, and impressions of using the intervention.

Study Design

Study Type: Interventional
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Masking: Single (Participant)

Masking Description

To reduce bias in the assessments, none of the constructs of interest to this study (e.g., "stress", "self-compassion") will be included in the language used to describe the intervention or in any materials used to advertise the study. Study participants will be told they are participating in a study on "fostering emotional well-being". No further information about the intervention will be provided.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages: 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
Sex: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Inclusion Criteria

•18 years of age or older.
•English language proficiency.
•Able and willing to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

•Does not have email address or access to email.
•Not able/willing to participate in and/or complete the pre-treatment assessments

Arms & Interventions

Self-Compassion Intervention (SCI)

Experimental

First, participants will be taught to implement a 20-second self-compassion induction via video recording. Second, participants will be taught to choose a cue that will precede their daily use of the self-compassion induction. Participants will document the cue they chose, and will be emailed a record of their selected cue, along with the recording and transcript of the self-compassion induction that they can refer back to for reference. Third, participants will be asked to use the self-compassion induction as much as they can and at least once during their daily routine following exposure to their chosen cue.

Intervention: Single Session Intervention Leveraging an Ultra-Brief Self-Compassion Exercise (Behavioral)

Finger-Tapping Active Control (AC)

Active Comparator

The active control will receive the same procedures as described above, except for receiving a different video containing different instructions describing a finger-tapping exercise. The videos will be virtually identical in length, quality, instructor/their outfit, and lighting.

Intervention: Finger-Tapping Active Control (Behavioral)