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Intrusive Reexperiencing: The Role of Working Memory Capacity and Thought Suppression

NCT01007682 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 200

Last updated 2012-03-08

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study aims at identifying risk factors for the development of intrusive reexperiencing symptoms. In particular, the investigators examine the influence of working memory capacity and thought suppression on the occurrence of unpleasant memories of a negative experience.

Hypothesis: People with high working memory capacities (HWMC) are able to successfully suppress memories of an unpleasant experience (presentation of a distressing movie). In contrast, in people with low working memory capacities (LWMC), attempts to suppress memories of an unpleasant experience inadvertently lead to an increase of these memories.

Study phase one: Assessment of working memory capacity in 200 healthy participants by means of a computerized task. Selection of 50 participants with HWMC and of 50 participants with LWMC who participate in study phase two.

Study phase two: Presentation of a distressing movie and subsequent assessment of memories of the movie during several days in the daily life of participants. Comparison of 4 groups regarding the frequency of instructions in daily life:(group 1: HWMC participants who are instructed to suppress thoughts of the movie, group 2: LWMC participants who are instructed to suppress thoughts of the movie, group 3: HWMC participants who are instructed to allow the occurence of thoughts of the movie, group 4: LWMC participants who are instructed to allow the occurence of thoughts of the movie)

Conditions

  • Memory

Interventions

OTHER

Show distressing movie and tell half of the two study groups to suppress memories of the movie

A distressing movie is presented to two groups (one group with high and one group with low working memory capacity). For each of the two groups, half of the participants are instructed to suppress thoughts of the movies after viewing it, while the remaining participants are instructed to allow the occurrence of memories of the movie.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Monique C Pfaltz, PhD · Harvard University, Department of Pysychology

  • Jürgen Margraf, Prof · University of Basel, Department for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Model
FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2009-09-30
Primary Completion
2011-07-31
Completion
2011-10-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01007682 on ClinicalTrials.gov