The Effect of AAT Training in Smokers

NCT ID: NCT02481752

Last Updated: 2016-08-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 52 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-07-31
• Study Completion Date: 2016-03-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of this research study is to investigate the effect of a brief computer task (Approach Avoidance Task) on smoking cessation. The investigators will use a novel training protocol that works to target automatic thoughts and tendencies that occur outside of conscious control. Previous research suggests that these automatic tendencies may have a direct effect on certain health behaviors- like continuing to smoke despite having previous quit attempts.

The investigators hypothesize that individuals in the AAT training condition will evidence a greater decrease in reaction times to avoid smoking-related stimuli & approach positive stimuli relative to those in the control condition. The investigators also expect that individuals in the AAT condition will exhibit superior outcomes on several quit-related variables as evidenced by an increase in motivation to quit smoking, an increase in number of days abstinent following a self-guided quit attempt, an increase in self-efficacy, and a decrease in urge to smoke compared to those in the SHAM training condition.

Conditions

Tobacco Use

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

AAT Training Group

Individuals in this condition will receive four sessions of AAT training in which they are instructed to approach (pull the joystick) images tilted to the right and avoid (push the joystick) images tilted to the left. They will be told that the training may weaken automatic cigarette-approach and strengthen automatic cigarette-avoidance. Furthermore, they will be told that the opposite effect will be true for the stimuli not related to cigarettes (i.e., the positive stimuli).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Approach Avoidance Training

Intervention Type: OTHER

The Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) used for this experiment is an implicit, computerized paradigm in which participants respond to visually presented pictures on a computer screen displaying either 1) smoking-related images or 2) positive images, by pulling a joystick either towards their body (approach movement) or pushing it away from their body (avoidance movement). By pulling the joystick towards their body, the picture grows in size; by pushing the joystick away, the picture shrinks and then disappears from the screen. Participants are instructed to pull upon seeing an image tilted to the right and to push upon seeing a left-tilt image, while ignoring the image content and responding as quickly and as accurately as possible.

SHAM Training Group

Individuals in this condition will receive four sessions of SHAM training in which they are instructed to approach (pull the joystick) images tilted to the right and avoid (push the joystick) images tilted to the left. They will be told that the purpose of the training is to improve control over these automatic tendencies and that following the training sessions, they will easily be able to push or pull the stimuli regardless of content.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

SHAM Training

Intervention Type: OTHER

Interventions

Approach Avoidance Training

The Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) used for this experiment is an implicit, computerized paradigm in which participants respond to visually presented pictures on a computer screen displaying either 1) smoking-related images or 2) positive images, by pulling a joystick either towards their body (approach movement) or pushing it away from their body (avoidance movement). By pulling the joystick towards their body, the picture grows in size; by pushing the joystick away, the picture shrinks and then disappears from the screen. Participants are instructed to pull upon seeing an image tilted to the right and to push upon seeing a left-tilt image, while ignoring the image content and responding as quickly and as accurately as possible.

Intervention Type: OTHER

SHAM Training

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Male and female patients ages 18-65 capable of providing informed consent
• Willing and able to provide informed consent, attend all study visits, and comply with the protocol
• Daily smoker for at least 6 months
• Currently smoke an average of at least 8 cigarettes per day
• Report a motivation to quit smoking of at least 5 on a 10-point scale
• Interest in making a serious quit attempt within the next month (without professional assistance or nicotine therapy)
• Have not decreased their number of cigarettes by more than half in the last six months

Exclusion Criteria

• Visual or hand-motoric impairments
• Current use of nicotine replacement therapy
• Current use of tobacco products other than cigarettes
• Insufficient command of the English language

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Texas at Austin

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Jasper A Smits, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Texas at Austin

Scarlett O Baird, B.A.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Texas at Austin

Locations

University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

2015-02-0023

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id