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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04753801

What Are the Ingredients for the Best Form of the Best Possible Self (BPS) Intervention?

This study aims to determine the relevant 'ingredients' to make the best possible self (BPS) intervention most efficacious and test whether the BPS's efficacy can be enhanced by including mindfulness aspects.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Participants

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg

Marburg, 35032, Germany

About this study

The best possible self (BPS) intervention is a brief positive psychology intervention to increase a person's positive affect and optimism. The BPS has been used in different forms (writing vs. imagining/visualizing vs. writing + imagining/visualizing the best possible self). However, it remains unclear which 'ingredients' are necessary to let the BPS unfold its effects. This online study aims to determine the relevant 'ingredients' to make the best possible self (BPS) intervention most efficacious. Since mindfulness interventions have recently indicated promising effects on positive and negative affect, another goal of this study is to test whether the BPS's efficacy can be enhanced by including aspects of mindfulness.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • fluent in the German language
  • access to a computer/tablet/smartphone with audio output/headphones

Exclusion criteria

  • not willing to take part in an online-intervention (duration: 60 minutes)
  • no access to a computer/tablet/smartphone with audio output/headphones

Treatment and study plan

Thinking, writing and imagination

Behavioral

All participants are asked to take some time to think and write about the respective intervention group's content. In some groups (after the writing exercise (approx. 15min)), participants are also asked to imagine that content or engage in a mindfulness activity or recall task for about 5 minutes.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in emotions (PANAS)

    Time frame: Change from pre (baseline) to post scores (approx. 30 minutes later)

    Change scores are calculated for positive and negative sum scores (post- minus pre-scores; pre-scores will be used as a covariate).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in state optimism ratings

    Time frame: Change from pre (baseline) to post scores (approx. 30 minutes later)

    State Optimism measure (SOM), 7 items (each item 1(strongly disagree)-5(strongly agree)). Change scores are calculated for positive and negative sum scores (post- minus pre-scores; pre-scores will be used as a covariate).

  2. Change in emotional responses to imagery of neutral, pleasant and aversive narrative scripts

    Time frame: Change from pre (baseline) to post scores (approx. 30 minutes later)]

    Nine narrative imagery scripts are used. Scenes included three neutral, standard social threat and positive/reward events. All scripts were developed according to the recommendations of Lang (1979). Participants are asked to rate the vividness of imagery (1= not vivid at all, 9= very vivid), the wish to avoid imagery (1 = no wish to avoid , 9 = strong wish to avoid imagery), their experienced anxiety (1= no anxiety, 9=very strong anxiety), displeasure (1 = pleasant, 9 = unpleasant), and emotional arousal (1 = relaxed, 9 = aroused) during imagery on a 9-point rating scale. Emotional responses are averaged per category.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Philipps University Marburg

Other

Registry information

Official study title

What Are the Ingredients for the Best Form of the Best Possible Self (BPS) Intervention? Combining the BPS Intervention With Mindfulness

Acronym: BestBPS

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Feb 15, 2021
Registry last updated
Aug 7, 2024

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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