The Effects of Interventions Aiming at Optimizing Expectations and Inducing Positive Emotions After an Acute Stressor

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of the study is to determine whether a short psychological intervention aiming at optimizing expectations is able to foster positive emotions and whether an intervention inducing positive emotions is able improve participants' expectations. Furthermore, the investigators will examine whether both interventions are effective in buffering the stress response after an acute stressor in a healthy sample compared to a control condition.

Official Title
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The Effects of Interventions Aiming at Optimizing Expectations and Inducing Positive Emotions After an Acute Stressor on Subjective and Objective Stress Paramaters

Conditions
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Healthy Participants

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Writing task


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: fluent in German language Exclusion Criteria: chronic disease mental disease the evening before the day of the experiment until end of the experiment (the next day): caffeine, alcohol, intensive physical exercise, chewing gum acute hay fever current intake of psychotropic medication

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Expectation<br>Participants are asked to think and write about ways how they can positively influence/control the stress during stress induction. They also can think of strategies they used in their past. The purpose of this arm is to improve participants' personal control expectations. | Behavioral: Writing task<br> <br> |
| Experimental: Emotion<br>Participants in this group are asked to write a gratitude-letter to a person they want to thank. The purpose of this arm is to foster positive emotions. | Behavioral: Writing task<br> <br> |
| Active Comparator: Control<br>Participants in this group are asked to do a neutral writing task. The task is to write a protocol of yesterday's to-dos. | Behavioral: Writing task<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in personal control expectation (Item of the Brief IPQ) |  | Pre-intervention (baseline; T0) vs. Post-intervention (25 minutes after baseline assessment; T1) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in emotions (PANAS) |  | Pre-intervention (baseline; T0) vs. Post-intervention (25 minutes after baseline assessment; T1) | 
| Subjective stress ratings | Questionnaire items | directly after completing the stress induction (approximately 50 minutes after baseline assessment; T2) | 
| Change in Cortisol levels (saliva sample) | directly (T2), 15 min (T3) and 30 min (T4) after stress induction = 50 min, 65 min and 80 min after baseline assessment | Pre-intervention (baseline; T0) vs.Post-intervention (25 minutes after baseline assessment; T1), directly (T2), 15 min (T3) and 30 min (T4) after stress induction | 
| Change in Alpha-Amylase levels (saliva sample) | directly (T2), 15 min (T3) and 30 min (T4) after stress induction = 50 min, 65 min and 80 min after baseline assessment | Pre-intervention (baseline; T0) vs. Post-intervention (25 minutes after baseline assessment; T1), directly (T2), 15 min (T3) and 30 min (T4) after stress induction |