Clinical trial NCT07008209: Comparing the Effectiveness of Reappraisal Strategies in Adult Participants
Official title: Comparing the Effects of Reconstrual and Repurposing Reappraisal Strategies on Sadness and Anxiety in Emerging Adults: A Brief Intervention
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Emotional Dysregulation
Anxiety
Sadness
Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms
Depressive Symptoms
Keywords: emotion regulation
reappraisal
cognitive reappraisal
repurposing
reconstrual
anxiety
sadness
emerging adults
Lead sponsor: Ibn Haldun University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-06-06
Enrollment: 240
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 30
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Intervention model description: This study uses a 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) × 4 (Strategy Type: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) between-subjects factorial design. Participants are randomly assigned to one of eight experimental groups. Each participant is exposed to an emotionally evocative scenario (either sadness or anxiety), followed by an intervention based on their assigned strategy condition. The aim is to examine the main and interaction effects of strategy type and emotion type on changes in emotional experience before and after the intervention.

Study Type: Interventional Design: Randomized, 2 × 4 between-subject factorial design Factors: Emotion Type (Sadness vs. Anxiety) × Strategy (Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) Within-Subjects: Time (Post-Scenario vs. Post-Intervention) Allocation: Randomized Masking: Single-blind Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which reappraisal strategy works better to reduce sadness and anxiety in emerging adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

What is the effect of emotion regulation strategies (reconstrual, repurposing) on short term negative emotions (anxiety, sadness)?

Does the effectiveness of these strategies vary depending on the type of emotion (anxiety vs. sadness)?

Are reconstrual and repurposing more effective compared to active and passive control conditions?

What is the effect of these strategies on short-term positive emotions (e.g., hope, happiness)?

Researchers will compare reconstrual and repurposing strategies to see which one is more effective in improving emotional outcomes.

Participants will:

be randomly assigned to one of eight conditions in a 4 (Regulation Strategy: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) × 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) factorial design.

Complete online tasks and surveys about their emotions

Detailed description: This study evaluates the effectiveness of two cognitive reappraisal strategies-reconstrual (reinterpreting the meaning of an event) and repurposing (modifying the personal goal related to the event)-in reducing negative affect and enhancing positive affect in response to emotion-evoking scenarios in emerging adults.

Participants (at least N = 240) will be randomly assigned to one of eight groups in a 2 (Emotion: Sadness vs. Anxiety) × 4 (Strategy: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) between-subjects factorial design. Each participant will complete standardized emotional induction tasks via written scenarios, followed by their assigned intervention.

Hypotheses

H1: Negative emotions (sadness or anxiety) will significantly decrease following the intervention in the reconstrual and repurposing groups compared to the active and passive control groups. (Main effect of strategy on negative affect)

H2: Positive emotions will increase more in the reconstrual and repurposing groups compared to the passive control group. (Main effect of strategy on positive affect)

H3 (Exploratory): The effectiveness of reconstrual and repurposing strategies may vary by emotion type:

Repurposing may be more effective in sadness scenarios.

Reconstrual may be more effective in anxiety scenarios. (Emotion Type × Strategy interaction)

H4: No significant emotional change is expected in the passive control group. (No time effect)

Study Design

Design Type: Experimental, between-subjects factorial design Design Structure: 2 (Emotion Type: Sadness vs. Anxiety) × 4 (Strategy Condition: Reconstrual, Repurposing, Active Control, Passive Control) Participants: Minimum N = 240 (n = 30 per group), emerging adults (ages \~18-30) Randomization: Random assignment to 1 of 8 groups Blinding: Participants are blind to condition purpose Type of Analysis: Mixed ANOVA

Within-Subject Factor: Time (Post-Scenario vs. Post-Intervention) Between-Subject Factors: Emotion Type × Strategy Group Dependent Variables: Emotional ratings post-intervention (Negative affect (VAS/SAM: anxiety, sadness); Positive affect (VAS/SAM).

Study Flow

1. Initial Assessment Demographics: Only name and age Baseline measures: Scale for contextual reappraisal (SCORE; for trait-level reconstrual and repurposing), GAD-7, PHQ-9
2. Neutral Stimulus A standardized neutral video from Samson et al. (2016) study.
3. Baseline Emotion Assesments: Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
4. Random Group Assignment

   Participants randomly assigned to one of eight groups (n=30 per group):

   Sadness - Reconstrual

   Sadness - Repurposing

   Sadness - Active Control

   Sadness - Passive Control

   Anxiety - Reconstrual

   Anxiety - Repurposing

   Anxiety - Active Control

   Anxiety - Passive Control
5. Training Phase Strategy-specific training with a minimum 90-second reading time enforced

   Practice vignette with 30-second enforced reading and comprehension check

   Correct answers allow progression; incorrect answers trigger explanation and acknowledgment before continuing

   Participants rate prior use of the trained strategy in daily life
6. Scenario Exposure Participants read and imagine a standardized written scenario (sadness or anxiety) matched for intensity and controllability (based on pilot data)

40-second enforced reading time

7. Self-Assessment and Rating VAS and SAM administered

Ratings of scenario imaginability and controllability (0-100 scale)

Participants write their first negative thoughts when imagining the scenario

8. Application Phase Participants apply assigned emotion regulation strategy with 90-second minimum enforced duration

Written brief explanation of alternative thoughts used

Post-application ratings with VAS and SAM

Participants rate effectiveness and belief in their reappraisal thoughts (0-100 scale)

9. Manipulation Check In the form of two multiple-choice questions: Participants will be asked to select the instruction that best matched the guideline they received at the beginning of the experiment and to identify the general topic of the scenario they had visualized.

10. Demographics: Exclusion criteria related questions 11. Debriefing Participants view debriefing statement

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Aged 18-30 years
* Fluent in Turkish
* No current psychiatric treatment or diagnosis (self-reported)
* Willingness to participate and provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of severe psychiatric or neurological disorders
* Current substance use disorder

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Negative Affect
timeFrame: Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention
measure: Change in valence and arousal
timeFrame: Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in Positive Affect
timeFrame: Immediately after vignette exposure vs. immediately after intervention
measure: PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire)
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale)
timeFrame: Baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Istanbul
country: Turkey
facility: Ibn Haldun University
Study officials:
affiliation: Kadir Has University
name: Ayşe ALTAN-ATALAY, Assoc. Prof. Dr
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Ibn Haldun University
name: Burcu UYSAL, Assoc. Prof. Dr
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
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