Smartphone Application, Mood and Stress

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Placebo Effect; Smartphone Application; Stress; Mood
• Interventions: Behavioral: No expectancy (control); Behavioral: Retrospective expectancy; Behavioral: Prospective and retrospective expectancy; Behavioral: Prospective expectancy

• Registration Number: NCT02365220
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the placebo effect in a smartphone-based training, ostensibly designed to improve mood and perceived stress by daily exposition to either mock sound or color.

Detailed Description

The overall goal of the outlined study is to investigate the placebo effect in a smartphone-based training, ostensibly designed to improve mood and perceived stress by daily exposition to either mock sound or color. During 14 days, subjects will participate in regular daily training sessions. During another 6 days, subjects will transfer the smartphone-based training to daily life.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-02
• Study First Submitted: 2015-02-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2015-02-10
• Study First Posted: 2015-02-18
• Primary Completion: 2015-10
• Study Completion: 2015-10
• Status Verified: 2016-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-03-30
• Last Update Posted: 2016-03-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 132

Inclusion Criteria

• Access to smartphone during study period

Exclusion Criteria

• Severe visual impairment
• Dyschromatopsia
• Severe defective hearing
• Regular intake of medication (excl. contraceptives)
• Severe mental disorders

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
No expectancy (control)	No expectancy (control)	No expectancy instruction with regard to the efficacy of the daily smartphone-based training
Retrospective expectancy	Retrospective expectancy	Retrospective expectancy instruction ("Training already had an effect on...") with regard to the efficacy of the daily smartphone-based training
Prospective and retrospective expectancy	Prospective and retrospective expectancy	Prospective ("Training will have an effect on...") and retrospective ("Training already had an effect on...") expectancy instruction with regard to the efficacy of the daily smartphone-based training
Prospective expectancy	Prospective expectancy	Prospective expectancy instruction ("Training will have an effect on...") with regard to the efficacy of the daily smartphone-based training

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in mood (Assessed via Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire)	Pre- and post-training, during 20 days of training	Assessed via Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire
Change in perceived stress	Pre- and post-training, during 20 days of training	Assessed via State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory; Visual Analog Scale

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Emotional state (Assessed via Self-Assessment-Manikin scales)	Post-training, during 20 days of training	Assessed via Self-Assessment-Manikin scales after exposition to affective pictures taken from International Affective Picture System

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Basel; 🇨🇭 Basel, Switzerland