EXperimental Paradigm to Investigate Expectation Change in Depression 4 (EXPECD4)

Philipps University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Expectation disconfirmation; Behavioral: Expectation confirmation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03780881

2018-37k

Details and patient eligibility

About

Research has shown that people with depressive symptoms maintain negative expectations even if they have positive experiences that contradict their expectations. Healthy people, however, change their expectations after unexpected positive experiences. In this experimental study, it will now be examined whether there are also differences between healthy people and people with depressive symptoms in dealing with unexpected negative experiences.

Full description

Research has already shown that people with depressive symptoms continue to hold on to negative expectations even if they have positive experiences that contradict their expectations. By contrast, healthy people change their expectations after unexpectedly positive experiences. In this experimental study, the authors will now examine whether there are also differences between healthy people and people with depressive symptoms in processing unexpectedly negative experiences. It is hypothesized that people with depressive symptoms change their expectations in a negative direction after unexpectedly negative experiences, while healthy people continue to hold on to an optimistic view.

Enrollment: 171 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria (clinical sample):

• diagnosis of major depression
• at least 18 years old
• sufficient German language skills

Exclusion Criteria (clinical sample):

• participation in previous studies on changes in expectations

Inclusion Criteria (healthy sample):

• at least 18 years old
• sufficient German language skills

Exclusion Criteria (clinical sample):

• participation in previous studies on changes in expectations
• current diagnosis of any mental disorder
• diagnosis of major depression in the past
• currently receiving psychotherapeutic treatment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

171 participants in 2 patient groups

Expectation confirmation

Experimental group

Description:

The participants in this group receive manipulated feedback indicating that their performance was very good in the test they had previously worked on. This feedback is intended to confirm the previously induced positive expectations of their own performance.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Expectation confirmation

Expectation disconfirmation

Experimental group

Description:

The participants in this group receive manipulated feedback indicating that their performance was below average in the test they had previously worked on. This feedback is intended to negatively disconfirm the previously induced positive expectations of their own performance.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Expectation disconfirmation