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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04025294

The Evaluation of a School Climate Videogame Intervention

A randomized control trial of a videogame intervention to assess and improve school climate.

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Key information

Conditions

Cognitive Reappraisal Self Efficacy

Age range

14 year–19 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Yale Center for Health & Learning Games

New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States

About this study

To assess the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a videogame intervention designed to teach teens the skills in restructuring thoughts and then empowering them to take action and improve their school climate.

For this project, the play2PREVENT Lab aims to assess the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a videogame intervention designed to teach teens the skills in restructuring thoughts and then empowering them to take action and improve their school climate. Program and school staff will enroll participants between the ages of 14-19 years old to play our videogame during their after school programs. Before and after gameplay, participants will answer assessment questions related to self-efficacy, cognitive reappraisal, and dimensions of school climate. Questions will also assess participants' feedback on the videogame. Students not randomly assigned to the videogame intervention will only respond to assessment questions. The data will be transmitted electronically via Qualtrics data collection platform to the Lab for further analysis.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Must be a current high school student
  • English-speaking
  • Willing to provide minor assent
  • Willing to provide parental consent (if under 18 years old)
  • Willing to play/use the game/tool for about 45 minutes to 1 hour after school
  • Willing to answer questions about their experiences in playing the game, questions around school climate, and questions around self-efficacy on an iPad for about 30 minutes
  • Willing to participate in an optional focus group for about 30 minutes

Exclusion criteria

  • Those that do not meet the criteria above

Treatment and study plan

videogame

Device

A videogame intervention that is interactive and engaging that teaches adolescents how to restructure negative automatic thoughts through an adapted thought record (a technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy to improve moods) by modeling how to do so and then empower them through real-life activities to improve their school climate. The videogame intervention is comprised of five mini-games, each containing a short narrative that models how to restructure negative automatic thoughts and navigate through challenging situations that often take place in school settings. The topics of each mini-game are informed by the constructs of school climate according to the National School Climate Center. Students using the videogame intervention will be prompted to think deeply and reflect on the narratives presented in each mini-game.

School Climate Assessment Survey

Behavioral

A school climate assessment survey will include items adapted from questions developed by the National School Climate Center. Items will assess various dimensions of school climate including safety, social media, relationships, support for learning, and environment.

Primary outcomes

  1. Measuring self-efficacy at baseline

    Time frame: baseline

    Participants will complete a pre-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), before playing the videogame. Items from the general self-efficacy questionnaire will assess participants' self-efficacy at baseline. This scale uses a 5-point Likert response scale (1=Never, 2=Almost Never, 3=Sometimes, 4=Fairly Often, 5=Very Often). Total self-efficacy score ranges from 10-50.

  2. Change in self-efficacy from baseline

    Time frame: immediately after playing the videogame

    Participants will complete a post-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), immediately after playing the videogame. Items from the general self-efficacy questionnaire will assess participants' self-efficacy at baseline. This scale uses a 5-point Likert response scale (1=Never, 2=Almost Never, 3=Sometimes, 4=Fairly Often, 5=Very Often). Total self-efficacy score ranges from 10-50.

  3. Measuring emotional self-efficacy at baseline

    Time frame: baseline

    Participants will complete a pre-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), at baseline. Items from the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) will assess participants' emotional self-efficacy immediately before playing the game. Each of the 6 items used in the study has to be scored on a 5-point scale with 1 = not at all and 5 = very well.

  4. Change in emotional self-efficacy from baseline

    Time frame: immediately after playing the videogame

    Participants will complete a post-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), at baseline. Items from the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) will assess participants' emotional self-efficacy immediately after playing the game. Each of the 6 items used in the study has to be scored on a 5-point scale with 1 = not at all and 5 = very well.

  5. Cognitive reappraisal scores at baseline

    Time frame: at baseline

    Participants will complete a pre-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), at baseline.

    The ERQ-CA includes 6 items assessing participants' cognitive appraisal. The scale length ranges up to five points with the following options: 1) strongly disagree; 2) disagree, 3) half and half, 4) agree, 5) strongly agree. The range of scores for each scale was 6 to 30.

  6. Cognitive reappraisal scores at baseline

    Time frame: immediately after playing the videogame

    Participants will complete a post-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), immediately after playing the videogame. Items from the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA) will assess participants' cognitive reappraisal immediately after playing the tool/game.

    The ERQ-CA includes 6 items assessing participants' cognitive appraisal. The scale length ranges up to five points with the following options: 1) strongly disagree; 2) disagree, 3) half and half, 4) agree, 5) strongly agree. The range of scores for each scale was 6 to 30.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Gameplay post-assessment

    Time frame: immediately after playing the game

    Participants will complete a post-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), immediately after playing the game. Twelve items will assess intervention experience and satisfaction from items designed by members of the study team (e.g., How likely do you think completing any of the activities will help you improve how you feel about yourself, others, or social situations? Response options include very likely, likely, might or might not, unlikely, very unlikely.) These questions are not part of a larger scale.

  2. School Climate

    Time frame: Baseline

    Participants will complete a pre-survey through a secured, data collection website (Qualtrics), immediately before playing the videogame. Items from the National School Climate Center will be adapted and used to assess dimensions of participants' school climate, including safety, support for learning, environment, social media, and relationships. Response options include yes, no, not applicable. These questions are not part of a larger scale.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jul 18, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 3, 2021

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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