Clinical trial NCT04350515: Effects of Social Exclusion in The Context of Chronic Embitterment
Official title: Effects of Social Exclusion in The Context of Chronic Embitterment: How Social Exclusion Experiences Affect Chronic Embittered People in Their Behaviour and Physiology
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Emotional Stress
Embitterment
Lead sponsor: University of Bern
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-04-17
Enrollment: 69
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This experimental, anonymous labor study aims to examine how experiences of social exclusion influence individuals in their fairness-behaviour, psychophysical reactions, and emotion regulation depending on their extent of bitterness. Points given for fairness reasons, just world belief, rejection sensitivity, well-being, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and heart rate variability (HRV) are measured and analyzed using structural equation modeling and multiple regression.

Detailed description: Embitterment is defined as an emotional response due to an event which is subjectively perceived as unjust. Nonetheless, there is little empiric evidence of unjust behaviour by others in the interpersonal context that triggers embitterment reactions. Ostracism, is an act where a person is excluded from a social environment without any reasons. This experimental labor study examines how the experiences of this form of social exclusion influences individuals depending on their self-evaluated embitterment. That is, fairness-behaviour is assessed as well as changes in hearth rate variability.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* German language, 18 years old, no cardiovascular disease
* The participation in the anonymous labor study is voluntary, participants gave consent to use the data with their participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

* None

Primary outcomes:
measure: Points for Fairness
timeFrame: After the second Cyberball intervention (exclusion of the subject or the avatar), at approx. 30 minutes from baseline.
measure: Changes in Heart Rate Variability (HRV; RMSSD) from baseline (t0)
timeFrame: After approx. 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 minutes from baseline.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Belief in a Just World
timeFrame: Baseline questionnaires at the beginning of the experiment.
measure: Rejection Sensitivity
timeFrame: Baseline questionnaires at the beginning of the experiment.
measure: Cognitive Emotion Regulation (Strategies) - Basic
timeFrame: Baseline questionnaires at the beginning of the experiment.
measure: Cognitive Emotion Regulation (Strategies) - Specific
timeFrame: Baseline questionnaires at the beginning of the experiment.
measure: Mindfulness Experiences
timeFrame: Baseline questionnaires at the beginning of the experiment.
measure: Change from baseline in subject's well-being - overall
timeFrame: After 15, 20, 30, 45, and 50 minutes from baseline.
measure: Change from baseline in subject's well-being - specific
timeFrame: After the mindfulness task (50 minutes) from baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Bern
country: Switzerland
facility: University of Bern, Institute of Psychology
state: BE
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Bern, Department of Psychology
name: Dennis Koroma, M.Sc.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: