Sound Estimation and Accuracy Task

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Alzheimer Disease; Parkinson's
• Interventions: Other: Instructions about Overestimates; Other: Instructions about Alzheimers; Other: Instructions about Underestimates; Other: Instructions about Parkinson's

• Registration Number: NCT02271685
• Lead Sponsor: Carnegie Mellon University

Brief Summary

Participants will be assigned to complete computerized estimation tasks for which there is a component of accuracy, such as estimating the duration of sounds. Participants will be told that the task is used as an early diagnostic tool to detect those at risk for a medical condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease). Instructions will be given to participants telling them that accuracy on the task is associated with the disease, whereas those who are not at risk of the disease tend to either overestimate or underestimate the duration of the sounds. The investigators examine whether such instructions about the purpose and diagnosticity of the tasks biases participants' responses to the tasks, leading them to purposefully be more inaccurate in their estimates.

Detailed Description

Participants will be assigned to complete computerized tasks for which there is a component of accuracy, such as estimating the length, in time, of sounds. Participants will be told that the task is used as an early diagnostic tool to detect those at risk for a medical condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease). Instructions will be given to participants telling them that accuracy on the task is associated with the disease in question, whereas those who are not at risk of the disease tend to either overestimate or underestimate the duration of the sounds. The investigators examine whether such instructions about the purpose and diagnosticity of the tasks biases participants' responses to the tasks. The investigators collect additional survey measures as statistical controls and potential explanatory variables for variation in the performance on the tasks, and also test whether financial incentives for accuracy on these tasks improve the accuracy of responses to these tasks.

Following the task, all participants will be told that the tasks used are actually NOT diagnostic of the diseases in question, and that deception was used to learn how people respond to instructions about how a task can be used for diagnostic purposes.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2014-10-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-10-20
• Study First Posted: 2014-10-22
• Study Start: 2015-02
• Status Verified: 2015-05
• Primary Completion: 2015-05
• Study Completion: 2015-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-05-19
• Last Update Posted: 2015-05-21

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 600

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 or older
• Able to access tasks on computer
• Able to hear sounds played on computer

Exclusion Criteria

• Computer speakers absent or not functioning

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: FACTORIAL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Underestimate Alzheimers	Instructions about Alzheimers	People are told that underestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Alzheimers disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.
Underestimate Parkinson's	Instructions about Underestimates	People are told that underestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Parkinson's disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.
Overestimate Parkinson's	Instructions about Overestimates	People are told that overestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Parkinson's disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.
Overestimate Alzheimers	Instructions about Alzheimers	People are told that overestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Alzheimers disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.
Underestimate Alzheimers	Instructions about Underestimates	People are told that underestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Alzheimers disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.
Overestimate Parkinson's	Instructions about Parkinson's	People are told that overestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Parkinson's disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.
Overestimate Alzheimers	Instructions about Overestimates	People are told that overestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Alzheimers disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.
Underestimate Parkinson's	Instructions about Parkinson's	People are told that underestimates on the sound estimation task are associated with being healthy and having a low risk of Parkinson's disease, whereas those who are accurate are more likely to develop the disease later in life.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Time Estimate	30 minutes	The estimate of the length of time elapsed during the sound file

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Time Generation	30 minutes	The length of time selected for the sound file to run by participants in a secondary task
Perceived Risk of Disease	30 minutes	Scale question asking participants their perceived risk of having the diseases in the study

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Carnegie Mellon University; 🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States