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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02647801

Self-control and Mindfulness Within Ambulatorily Assessed Network Systems Across Health Related Domains

The aim of this trial is to test a novel network approach (Bringmann et al., 2013), which enables to investigate the complex, interdependent network of self-control and its influences in everyday life. By adding an intervention to the network, such as mindfulness training, it is also possible to explore the way mindfulness changes connection strengths between network variables.

For six weeks, an ambulatory assessment and additional seven weekly laboratory sessions are conducted with 120 students from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz who are randomized to a control (n=60) or intervention condition (n=60). Pre and post measurement sessions take place to assess self-reported trait self-control and mindfulness and a behavioral measure of mindfulness (Levinson, Stoll, Kindy, Merry & Davidson 2014). Participants of both the experimental and control condition come to five weekly lab meetings in which they fill out questionnaires to assess changes in self-reported self-control and mindfulness. But only participants of the experimental condition take part in weekly computer based mindfulness trainings. During the ambulatory assessment, participants complete questionnaires six times a day via mobile phones that are randomly prompted and answer questions about state self-control, motivation, affect, and current situation.

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Key information

Conditions

Self Regulation Behavior Self-Control Social Behavior

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, 55122, Germany

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • understanding and speaking German
  • aged between 18 and 65 years
  • knowledge about how to use a mobile phone

Exclusion criteria

  • psychological disease
  • mental or somatic disability that could impair the usage of a mobile phone

Treatment and study plan

Mindfulness Intervention

Behavioral

Mindfulness is practiced with a weekly computer based guided breathing meditation in which one's own breath has to be counted repetitively from 1 to 9. Participants have to press a specific button for breaths 1 to 8 and then press another button for breath 9 on a keyboard. During this practice they put on headphones and listen to a voice that guides them through breathing meditation. A "click" sound will occur if breath is miscounted (Levinson et al., 2014). After each computer based breathing meditation the experimenter and participants exchange meditation experiences and views. After the first mindfulness training participants in the experimental group are also able to practice mindfulness at home by listening to audio files on the mobile phone (bodyscan or breathing meditation).

Primary outcomes

  1. Three items from the State Self-control Capacity Scale (SSCCS)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    German version of the SSCCS. Self-report on current self-control capacity of participants.

  2. Three items from the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    Items from the German version of the MAAS. Self-report on current mindfulness of participants.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Eight affect items based on the affective circumplex (Russel, 2003)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm and at weekly laboratory meetings

    Eight items which Kuppens and colleagues used for an experience sampling study (Kuppens, Allen, & Sheeber, 2010). Self-report on momentary affect of participants.

  2. Attention (state)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    A single self-report item assessing momentary attention: "For the last 30 minutes I have had problems concentrating."

  3. Four items from the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    Self-report of participants on momentary intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, external regulation, and amotivation.

  4. Five emotion regulation strategies (Koval, Brose, Pe et al., 2015)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    Self-report on momentary emotion regulation strategies of participants.

  5. Three items from the Dutch eating behavior questionnaire (DEBQ)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    German version of the DEBQ. Self-report on momentary restrictive, emotional and external eating behaviors of participants.

  6. Three items from the Work related Flow Inventory (WOLF)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    Self-report on momentary work flow experience of participants.

  7. Three items from the State Adult Attachment Measure (SAAM)

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    Self-report on current attachment style of participants.

  8. Three items from the Recovery Experience Questionnaire

    Time frame: From day 1 till day 40, six times a day between 10 am and 8 pm

    Self-report on recovery from work in leisure time of participants.

  9. Self-Control Scale (SCS-KD)

    Time frame: at seven weekly laboratory meetings (day 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42)

    German adaptation of the SCS. Self-report on dispositional self-control of participants.

  10. WHO-Five Well-Being Index

    Time frame: Pre- and post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    German version of the WHO-5 Well-being index. Self-report on well-being of participants.

  11. Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ)

    Time frame: Pre- and post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    German adaptation of the ERQ. Self-report on habitual use of emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) of participants.

  12. Adult Attachment Scale (AAS)

    Time frame: Pre- and post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    German adaptation of the AAS. Self-report on attachment related attitudes of participants.

  13. Dutch eating behavior questionnaire (DEBQ)

    Time frame: Pre- and post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    German version of the DEBQ. Self-report on restrictive, emotional and external eating behaviors of participants.

  14. Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS)

    Time frame: At weekly laboratory meetings (day 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42)

    German version of the MAAS. Self-report on dispositional mindfulness of participants.

  15. Big Five Inventory (BFI-44)

    Time frame: Pre- and Post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    German adaptation of the BFI-44. Self-report on personality traits of participants.

  16. Breath counting task (Levinson et al., 2014)

    Time frame: Pre- and Post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    Behavioral measure of mindfulness.

  17. Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18)

    Time frame: Pre- and Post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    German version of the BSI-18. Self-report on symptoms of somatisation, depression and anxiety of participants.

  18. Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS)

    Time frame: Pre- and Post measurement (at day 0 and 42)

    German version of the KIMS. Self-report on mindfulness skills of participants.

Other outcomes

  1. Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS)

    Time frame: At weekly laboratory meetings (day 7, 14, 21, 28, 35)

    Self-report on meditation experiences after breathing meditation.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The SMASH Study: Self-control and Mindfulness Within Ambulatorily Assessed Network Systems Across Health Related Domains

Acronym: SMASH

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2016
First posted
Jan 6, 2016
Registry last updated
Mar 7, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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