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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02365220

Smartphone Application, Mood and Stress

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Smartphone Application Mood Placebo Effect Stress

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Basel

Basel, 4055, Switzerland

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

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

Treatment and study plan

No expectancy (control)

Behavioral

No expectancy instruction with regard to the efficacy of the daily smartphone-based training (exposition to either mock sound or color)

Prospective expectancy

Behavioral

Prospective expectancy instruction ("Training will have an effect on...") with regard to the efficacy of the daily smartphone-based training (exposition to either mock sound or color)

Retrospective expectancy

Behavioral

Retrospective expectancy instruction ("Training already had an effect on...") with regard to the efficacy of the daily smartphone-based training (exposition to either mock sound or color)

Prospective and retrospective expectancy

Behavioral

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 (exposition to either mock sound or color)

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in mood (Assessed via Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire)

    Time frame: Pre- and post-training, during 20 days of training

    Assessed via Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire

  2. Change in perceived stress

    Time frame: Pre- and post-training, during 20 days of training

    Assessed via State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory; Visual Analog Scale

Secondary outcomes

  1. Emotional state (Assessed via Self-Assessment-Manikin scales)

    Time frame: Post-training, during 20 days of training

    Assessed via Self-Assessment-Manikin scales after exposition to affective pictures taken from International Affective Picture System

Other outcomes

  1. Efficacy expectancy (Assessed via Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire)

    Time frame: Post-training, training day 1, 7, 14, 20

    Assessed via Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire

  2. Feedback on adverse events during the daily training session (Number of subjects reporting an adverse event)

    Time frame: Post-training, last training day (day 20)

    Number of subjects reporting an adverse event

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Basel

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2015
First posted
Feb 18, 2015
Registry last updated
Mar 31, 2016

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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