Understanding Reactions to Emotional Material in the Media During COVID-19
Condition: Healthy Participants; Intrusive Memories
MeSH terms: COVID-19
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This feasibility study aims to adapt a protocol usually run in the laboratory in the
      Psychology Department for healthy participants (including the trauma film paradigm (James et
      al., 2016) and a simple cognitive task intervention) to remote (online) delivery. The
      motivation for this was restrictions to running in person laboratory experiments during the
      COVID-19 pandemic.

      Participants will view film footage with COVID-19 related and potentially traumatic content
      (e.g. of seriously ill or dying patients in hospitals). Following film viewing, participants
      will be randomly allocated to either the experimental condition (simple cognitive task
      intervention, i.e. a memory cue followed by playing the computer game "Tetris" with mental
      rotation instructions) or the control condition (attention placebo, i.e., a memory cue
      followed by listening to a podcast for a similar duration). Any intrusive memories induced by
      the film (analogue trauma) will be monitored in a daily diary. It is predicted that the film
      (analogue trauma) will generate intrusive memories. If intrusive memories are generated, then
      it is predicted that participants in the experimental condition will report fewer intrusive
      memories related to the film (analogue trauma) during the following week than participants in
      the control condition.

      The development of this paradigm may inform the future development of a simple technique to
      prevent intrusive memories e.g. after repeated media consumption related to the COVID-19
      pandemic.
    

Detailed description: 
      This is a between-groups experimental study with healthy participants informed by prior
      laboratory work. It includes two sessions and a seven-day daily diary in between sessions. In
      this feasibility study, for the first time all study procedures will be delivered remotely
      rather than in a laboratory because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary outcome is the
      number of intrusive memories related to the film (analogue trauma) recorded in a daily
      electronic diary during the following week (week 1).

      The first aim is to investigate if the film (analogue trauma) will generate intrusive
      memories. The second aim is, if intrusive memories are generated, to investigate if
      participants in the experimental condition will report fewer intrusive memories of the film
      (analogue trauma) than participants in the control condition.
    

Intervention name(s): Simple cognitive task intervention; Attention Placebo
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): A memory cue followed by playing the computer game "Tetris" (on own smartphone) with mental rotation instructions for ca. 12 minutes.; A memory cue followed by listening to a podcast (on own smartphone) for ca. 12 minutes.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: Digital Intervention; Intrusive Memories; Trauma Film Paradigm; COVID-19