Understanding and Intervening With State Shame and Self-criticism

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the momentary effects of a one-session intervention (compassion-based, logic-based, or placebo control) on individuals with high or low trait self-criticism. The main questions it aims to answer are:

After a momentary shame induction, will a compassion-based intervention and a logic-based intervention both be more beneficial than a placebo control condition in terms of therapeutic outcomes?

Will the compassion-based intervention most effectively increase soothing affect, state self-compassion, and state self-reassurance?

Will the effects of these two interventions (1) differ as a function of the individual's trait self-criticism, and (2) will this be due to differing indirect effects of the intervention on safe/soothed feelings based on trait self-criticism?

Participants will first complete a set of baseline measures. Two to seven days later, they will be randomly assigned to one of three study conditions (i.e., compassion-based, logic-based, placebo control) after a brief shame induction. Participants will be asked to complete a set of questionnaires both before and after the shame induction as well as post-intervention.

This research will help us understand how best to intervene with the shame and self-criticism.

Conditions

• Self-Criticism

Interventions

OTHER

Compassion-based intervention

Participants assigned to this intervention will be asked to engage in one brief compassion-focused exercise, where they will be asked to be asked to connect to their inner compassionate self. They will be asked to stay connected to that feeling while rereading what they wrote about their feelings of shame and imagining it was someone else who wrote it. Participants will then be asked to write a compassionate response to themselves. Participants will then be asked to reread this response while remaining connected to their compassionate self.

OTHER

Logic-based intervention

Participants assigned to this intervention will be asked to engage in one brief (10-15 minute) online logic-based exercise that was adapted from a CBT thought record. Participants will be asked to reread what they wrote about their feelings of shame and chose a thought central to their shame to use for this exercise. Participants will be asked to generate evidence for and against their chosen thought, and then generate a more balanced thought. After the exercise, participants will be asked to reread their newly generated more balanced thought.

OTHER

Placebo control condition

Participants assigned to this intervention will be asked to listen to an audio recording of "The Hobbit" and then re-read what they wrote about their feelings of shame. They will then be asked to write a reflection about the thoughts and feelings arising from doing so. They will then be asked to re-read what they wrote in this reflection.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Waterloo

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Allison C. Kelly, PhD · Associate Professor

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-10-17

Primary Completion

2023-12-31

Completion

2023-12-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations