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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05321238

The Role of Agency and Threat-Immediacy in Interactive Digital Narrative Fear Appeals

Aims:

The first aim of the study was to assess the effect of agency, i.e. the perception of making meaningful decisions, in an interactive digital narrative fear appeal on self-efficacy beliefs concerning the ability to reduce alcohol intake among college students. Second, we assessed whether the communicated timeframe (short-term / long-term) of the threat presented in the narrative moderates the effect of agency on self-efficacy. Lastly, to validate the effect of the intervention on behavioural outcomes we assesed whether self-efficacy has an effect on behavioural intention measures.

The study was a 2 (agency: low / high) x 2 (time-frame: immediate / distant) between-subjects online experiment.

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Key information

Conditions

Excessive Drinking Behavior Communication Narration

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Tilburg University

Tilburg, North Brabant, 5037AB, Netherlands

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • above 18 years of age
  • 480 seconds survey completion time
  • both attention checks relating to narrative content passed
  • correctly identified their experimental condition in the manipulation check
  • did not choose to 'drink an alcoholic drink' for all decisions in the interactive narrative
  • did not show signs of alcohol abuse

Exclusion criteria

  • under the age of 18
  • completed the questionnaire in an unreasonably short amount of time
  • they failed one of the two attention checks
  • failed the manipulation check asking them to recall whether they were presented with short- or long-term (high / low immediacy) consequences of excessive drinking
  • chose an alcoholic drink for all decision points
  • showed signs of alcohol dependence as measured above 15 on the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ)

Treatment and study plan

High agency and immediate threat

Other

Participants were asked to make several decisions for the main character in the interactive digital narrative that related to drinking / turning down alcoholic drinks.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from acute alcohol poisoning after ingesting too much alcohol in a short period of time.

High agency and distant threat

Other

Participants were asked to make several decisions for the main character in the interactive digital narrative that related to drinking / turning down alcoholic drinks.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from multiple organ failure after ingesting too much alcohol over a long period of time.

Low agency and immediate threat

Other

Participants were asked to read a narrative in which the main character turns down alcoholic drinks at a party. The participants can not influence the decisions of the main character and only consume the narrative passively.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from acute alcohol poisoning after ingesting too much alcohol in a short period of time.

Low agency and distant threat

Other

Participants were asked to read a narrative in which the main character turns down alcoholic drinks at a party. The participants can not influence the decisions of the main character and only consume the narrative passively.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from multiple organ failure after ingesting too much alcohol over a long period of time.

Primary outcomes

  1. Perceived self-efficacy

    Time frame: During the lab session

    Three items answered on 7-point Likert scales (ranging from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'):

    • I am able to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts.
    • It is easy for me to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts.
    • I can limit my alcohol intake to low amounts.

  2. Behavioural intention

    Time frame: During the lab session

    Four items answered on 7-point Likert scales (ranging from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'):

    • I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts.
    • I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts on special occasions.
    • I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts when being with friends.
    • I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts when I am by myself.

Other outcomes

  1. Perceived Agency

    Time frame: During the lab session

    Five items Items were measured on 7-point Likert scales from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'. For example, 'I felt that the actions I took were meaningful within the context of the story'.

  2. Fear

    Time frame: During the lab session

    Six items were scored on 7-point Likert scales from 'Not at all' to 'Very much'. The items ask participants about the intensity of affective response towards the message, for example, 'How much did this message make you feel frightened?'.

  3. Perceived Severity, Susceptability and Response-Efficacy

    Time frame: During the lab session

    Severity, susceptibility and response-efficacy items were measured with three items each on 7-point Likert scales from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'.

  4. Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

    Time frame: During the lab session

    We measured the consequences of alcohol related behavior indicating dependence. One example of an item is 'My drinking has gotten me into sexual situations I later regretted.'. The brief young adult alcohol consequences questionnaire (BYAACQ) consists of 24 statements that are scored with binary yes / no answers. A score above 15 positive answers indicates alcohol dependence. The scale was developed by (Kahler et al., 2008).

  5. Drinking Frequency

    Time frame: During the lab session

    Frequency was measured by asking participants how often they 'drink alcohol in excess' and was measured on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 'Never' to 'Very Frequently'.

  6. Perceived Control

    Time frame: During the lab session

    Perceived control was measured by two items asking participants whether or not they can 'control' and 'stop' drinking alcohol whenever they want. These two items were measured on 7-point Likert scales ranging from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'.

  7. Behavioural inhibition

    Time frame: During the lab session

    The items to measures disinhibition were taken over unchanged from the scale by Lee & Shinn (2011), but altered from 9-point to 7-point Likert scales ranging from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Tilburg University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Role of Agency and Threat-Immediacy in Interactive Digital Narrative Fear Appeals for the Prevention of Excessive Alcohol Use: Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Apr 11, 2022
Registry last updated
Apr 22, 2022

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

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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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