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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03834467

Testing a Shortened Version of the AlAn's Game

It has been demonstrated that behavior on the AlAn's (altruism-antisocial) game is related to Moral Elevation response. Moral Elevation is a positive response to another's act of generosity "of charity, gratitude, fidelity, generosity or any other strong display of virtue". The constellation of emotional, physical and psychological aspects of a Moral Elevation response have been well described. Moral Elevation can be elicited with stimulus stories or videos and measured with self-report questionnaires. The experience of Moral Elevation is associated with subsequent prosocial and affiliative behaviors. Additionally, the research has linked Moral Elevation response with behavior on the AlAn's game. This study will test whether behavior on the AlAn's Short Game v.2 is related to Moral Elevation response and extend prior work by testing whether viewing the Moral Elevation stimulus prior to playing the AlAn's Short Game v.2 is associated with differences in game behavior. The study will also test whether psychopathic traits will correlate with game behavior.

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Key information

Conditions

Psychopathic Personality Trait Altruism Behavior Social Behavior

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States

About this study

Hypotheses and Specific Aims:

Aim 1: Examine the similarities and differences in behaviors on the AlAn's Short Game v.2 seen with the two Active Trial (AT) types (where Red Cross donation will be reduced and subject will gain money (AT1) vs. where the Red Cross donation will increase and study participants will lose money (AT2).

Hypothesis 1: Number of accepted trials of AT1 and AT2 from session 1 will significantly correlate.

Aim 2: Test the effects of Elevation vs. Nature video on change in AlAn's Short Game v.2 behavior between sessions 1 and 2.

Hypothesis 2: Subjects who view the Elevation stimulus video (study Arm 1) will show increases in prosocial behavior while those watching the Nature video will not.

Aim 3: Test the association between psychopathic traits and Costly Helping and determine whether the influence of Elevation on Costly Helping dissipates with increasing levels of psychopathic traits.

Hypothesis 3: Psychopathic traits, as measured by the Levenson Self Report Psychopathy Scale, will significantly and negatively correlate with the amount of prosocial behavior in session 1.

Hypothesis 4: Using subjects from study Arm 1, change in AlAn's Short game v.2 behavior (session 2 minus session 1) will be negatively correlated with psychopathic trait scores.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • age 18-25 years

Exclusion criteria

  • refusal to provide informed consent

Treatment and study plan

Arm 1 - Elevation Stimulus Video

Other

Subjects will watch a video that has been shown in previous studies to elicit an elevation response. This video shows a news story about a man saving the life of another man who falls onto the subway tracks.

Arm 2 - Control Stimulus Video

Other

Subjects will watch a nature video.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in the Amount of Prosocial Behavior on the AlAn's Short Game v.2

    Time frame: within 45 minutes, during one single study visit

    The primary outcome of interest is the change in the amount of prosocial behavior on the AlAn's Short game between sessions 1 and 2 (Costly Helping session 2 minus Costly Helping session 1).

    Our two main analyses of interest using this outcome measure are: (1) to test whether viewing the Moral Elevation stimulus video vs. the Control video experience a greater change in Costly Helping (e.g., that Moral Elevation response promotes prosocial behavior); and (2) to test whether psychopathic traits attenuate the relationship between Moral Elevation and prosocial behavior (i.e., among those viewing the Moral Elevation stimulus video, that our primary outcome - change in prosocial behavior - will be negatively related to level of psychopathic traits).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Colorado, Denver

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Testing a Shortened Version of the AlAn's Game, Which Can be Delivered Through REDCap, in a Sample of Emerging Adults

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Feb 8, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 19, 2020

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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