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Cognitive Bias Modification for Perfectionism and Intolerance to Uncertainty

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Intolerance to Uncertainty
Perfectionism
Interventions
Behavioral: Cognitive Bias Modification
Behavioral: Cognitive Bias Modification for Control Group
Registration Number
NCT04843228
Lead Sponsor
Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
Brief Summary

This study will examine the impact of cognitive bias modification (CBM) on perfectionism and intolerance to uncertainty. Undergraduate students will be recruited and randomly assigned to either experimental or placebo-control groups. Each group will attend four sessions of CBM over four weeks.

Detailed Description

Background. Cognitive bias modification (CBM) is an intervention aiming to systematically change the biases in cognitive processing using experimental paradigms. CBM was found effective with a variety of disorders and transdiagnostic variables. Although there are few studies focusing on transdiagnostic variables like perfectionism and intolerance to uncertainty, further research needs to be done for the generalizability of these results. It was aimed in this study to test the effectiveness of CBM for perfectionism and intolerance to uncertainty with a sample of undergraduate students in Turkey.

Sample size was determined using G\*power for a medium to large effect size based on previous studies and it was planned to include 28 undergraduate students who have a score of \>70.5 in the Brief Symptom Measure in the study. Participants will get either 3-course credits or a 100 TL bookstore gift card for their full participation. After getting informed consent from participants, they will be randomized to either active or control condition. Participants will be blind to their intervention condition. Following randomization, baseline measurements will be collected. After the baseline measures were collected, links for interventions will be e-mailed to the participants according to their assigned group. Participants will get an email including the link for the study every week. Interpretation bias scores of participants for perfectionism and intolerance to uncertainty will be collected before the first intervention session and after the last intervention session. These sessions will last approximately 25 min. Participants will attend the session without an assessment in the second and third week and these sessions will last approximately 15 min. After four sessions, post-tests will be sent to the participants. Questionnaires will also be collected one month after the intervention was done.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
54
Inclusion Criteria
  • Older than 18 years old
  • Have a score of >70.5 in Brief Symptom Measure
  • Being an undergraduate student
  • Fluent in Turkish
  • Access to the internet by computer
Exclusion Criteria
  • Having any psychiatric disorder
  • Receiving a psychiatric/psychological treatment

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Active Cognitive Bias Modification GroupCognitive Bias ModificationThis group of participants will receive 4 sessions of CBM targeting their interpretation biases for perfectionism and intolerance to uncertainty.
Placebo-Control Cognitive Bias Modification GroupCognitive Bias Modification for Control GroupThis group of participants will receive 4 sessions of inactive CBM.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Brief Symptom MeasureWeeks 0, 4, 8

Psychiatric symptomatology will be assessed with Brief Symptom Measure consists of 25 items scored 1-7. Greater score means greater severity.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Interpretation bias for perfectionismWeeks 0, 4

Participants will read ten scenarios and rate the relatedness of four sentences for each scenario.

Change in Intolerance of Uncertainty ScaleWeeks 0, 4, 8

Self-report questionnaire of intolerance to uncertainty consists of 26 items on a 5-point scale. Higher score means greater intolerance to uncertainty.

Change in Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism ScaleWeeks 0, 4, 8

Self-report questionnaire of perfectionism consists of 35 items on a 5-point scale. Higher score means greater perfectionism.

Change in Cognitive-Behavioral Avoidance ScaleWeeks 0, 4, 8

Self-report questionnaire of cognitive-behavioral avoidance consists of 31 items on a 5-point scale. Higher score means greater cognitive-behavioral avoidance.

Change in Interpretation bias for intolerance to uncertaintyWeeks 0, 4

Participants will judge the relatedness of word-sentence pairings. 40 pairings will be presented and each participant will have a score between 0 and 1. A score closer to 0 indicates severity of interpretation bias for intolerance to uncertainty.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Massachusetts Lowell

🇺🇸

Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

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