The Social Regulation of Threat-related Vigilance and Arousal

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Social Interaction; Anxiety; Discrimination, Racial; Psychological Trauma, Historical; Emotion Regulation; Hypervigilance
• Interventions: Behavioral: social support

• Registration Number: NCT05558527
• Lead Sponsor: University of Nevada, Reno

Brief Summary

This study will examine the effects of social support on threat vigilance and arousal using eye tracking. We will also test the moderating effects of trauma and discrimination history.

Detailed Description

Both interpersonal trauma (IPT) and ethno-racial discrimination amplify risk for hyper-arousal symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the mechanism of this effect is unclear. Prior research suggests that social support plays an important role in regulating emotional responses, a process called social emotion regulation. This study will test whether a history of IPT and/or ethno-racial discrimination influence the social regulation of arousal and vigilance. Social regulation will be tested by contrasting responses under conditions with and without social support.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-08-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-09-23
• Study First Posted: 2022-09-28
• Status Verified: 2025-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-19
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-23
• Study Start: 2025-09
• Primary Completion: 2027-12
• Study Completion: 2028-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 45

Inclusion Criteria

• In a stable romantic relationship for 6 months or more
• Normal vision or corrected-to-normal vision
• Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

• If vision is corrected-to-normal, needs to use hard contact lenses, bifocal contact lenses, or glasses
• Experienced a traumatic event within the past 4 weeks

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Social support from a stranger	social support	Participants will hold the hand of a stranger
Social support from a romantic partner	social support	Participants will hold the hand of their romantic partner

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Vigilance Related Eye Movements - Number of Eye Fixations	Collected from minute 15 to minute 45 of study participation, approximately	Participants will view 15 pictures of natural environmental scenes for 10 seconds per image. We will use an eye tracker to examine the number of eye fixations per scene. A greater number of fixations during the 10 second presentation of a scene would indicate greater vigilance.
Vigilance Related Eye Movements - Visual Scanning	Collected from minute 15 to minute 45 of study participation, approximately	Participants will view 15 pictures of natural environmental scenes for 10 seconds per image. We will use an eye tracker to examine the proportion of the scene that they look at (fixate on) out of approximately 80 possible sectors. A greater proportion of the scene they fixate on would indicate greater vigilance.
Threat-Related Physiological Arousal - Pupil Dilation	Collected from minute 45 to minute 75 of study participation, approximately	Participants will view a series of visual cues (either an 'X' or an 'O') where an 'X' signals a possible (20% probability) aversive auditory stimulus (human scream). We will examine pupil dilation during the task in order to measure arousal in response to uncertain threat. We will calculate average pupil dilation during the wait period after threat cues (X) and after safety cues (O). We will subtract average pupil dilation after safety cues from threat cues to create an index of threat-related arousal. Greater pupil dilation (for threat minus safety cues) would indicate greater threat-related arousal.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Nevada, Reno; 🇺🇸 Reno, Nevada, United States