Evaluation of a Novel Intervention Aimed at Instilling Future-oriented Mindsets and Behaviors Using a Smartphone Application and Immersive Virtual Reality

NCT ID: NCT05578755

Last Updated: 2024-05-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 321 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-10-19
• Study Completion Date: 2024-01-31

Brief Summary

Short-term thinking, or the inability to make informed tradeoffs between immediate benefits and longer-term costs, has been related to a variety of negative or self-defeating behaviors, such as substance use, impulsive decision making, and delinquency, whereas future-oriented thinking tends to be positively associated with positive behaviors, such as self-esteem, planning, and goal-directed behaviors. To bolster people's psychosocial development, the investigators are developing an intervention, FutureU, aimed at instilling future-oriented mindsets and behaviors by strengthening people's identification with who they may be in the future, i.e., their 'future self'. Through the use of a smartphone application (app) and immersive virtual reality (VR), participants interact with a visual representation of their future self. In the present study, the investigators will evaluate the current iteration of this intervention and compare the FutureU app and FutureU VR with each other and with a goal-setting control group. Knowledge and insights gained from this study will be used to further develop the FutureU intervention program and can provide insights for intervention theory building and implementation strategies.

Detailed Description

People with a short-term mindset tend be focused on the here-and-now and are inclined to disregard the more distant consequences of their actions. This often results in self-defeating behaviors, i.e., behaviors that provide immediate gains but that may simultaneously incur significant costs in the longer run (e.g., substance use, delinquency, overspending). In contrast, people who are more future-oriented typically balance the immediate gains against the longer-term consequences of their decisions and are more inclined to set goals for the future. The investigators are developing an intervention, FutureU, aiming to promote future-oriented mindsets and behaviors by strengthening people's identification with their 'future self'. The level of identification with the future self depends on the extent to which people are able to vividly imagine their future self (i.e., vividness), feel positively towards their future self (i.e., valence), and feel similar and connected to their future self (i.e., related). During the intervention, participants interact with their future self. This future self is developed on the basis of a digitally aged image of themselves. In order to present the visual representation of the participants' future self, the investigators implement the intervention via a smartphone application (app) and via immersive virtual reality (VR). The present study examines the current iteration of the FutureU intervention, which is developed within an ongoing research program. The findings of this study will be used to further develop and optimize the FutureU intervention.

In a three-armed Randomized Controlled Trial, the investigators will evaluate the FutureU intervention by examining 1) its effectiveness on both proximal and distal outcomes, 2) its working mechanisms, and 3) moderators of intervention effects. It is hypothesized that FutureU will increase participants' future-oriented mindsets and behaviors (e.g., increase future orientation, enhance goal achievement, and reduce self-defeating behaviors). There are no specific expectations regarding differences in effectiveness between the two implementation strategies (app vs. VR). Regarding the working mechanisms, the hypothesis is that intervention effects of FutureU are mediated by increases in future self-identification. Concerning moderators, the investigators will examine the moderating role of personality traits within an intervention context in an exploratory fashion. Furthermore, associations between usage patterns (e.g., length and frequency of use), engagement levels and intervention outcomes will be examined, and the goals set by the participants will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.

Conditions

Future Orientation; Self-defeating Behavior; Future Self-identification

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Smartphone-based intervention

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

FutureU

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

FutureU is based on the assumption that future orientation can be strengthened by increasing the extent to which people identify with their future self. People who identify more with their future self appear to be more inclined to make more altruistic choices favoring their future self and foregoing immediate gratification. The intervention provides psychoeducation and exposure to and interaction with the future self. Participants interact with a digitally aged version of themselves, i.e., their 'future self', using a smartphone application (app) or through immersive virtual reality (VR).

The app consists of three week-long modules. Participants interact with the app on a daily basis for about 5 minutes a day for 21 consecutive days.

The VR consists of three sessions, each lasting about 30 minutes. Each VR session is guided by a trained researcher.

Virtual reality intervention

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

FutureU

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

FutureU is based on the assumption that future orientation can be strengthened by increasing the extent to which people identify with their future self. People who identify more with their future self appear to be more inclined to make more altruistic choices favoring their future self and foregoing immediate gratification. The intervention provides psychoeducation and exposure to and interaction with the future self. Participants interact with a digitally aged version of themselves, i.e., their 'future self', using a smartphone application (app) or through immersive virtual reality (VR).

The app consists of three week-long modules. Participants interact with the app on a daily basis for about 5 minutes a day for 21 consecutive days.

The VR consists of three sessions, each lasting about 30 minutes. Each VR session is guided by a trained researcher.

Goal-setting control condition

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Goal-setting

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

In the control condition participants set goals (as in the intervention conditions), but receive no further guidance.

Interventions

FutureU

FutureU is based on the assumption that future orientation can be strengthened by increasing the extent to which people identify with their future self. People who identify more with their future self appear to be more inclined to make more altruistic choices favoring their future self and foregoing immediate gratification. The intervention provides psychoeducation and exposure to and interaction with the future self. Participants interact with a digitally aged version of themselves, i.e., their 'future self', using a smartphone application (app) or through immersive virtual reality (VR).

The app consists of three week-long modules. Participants interact with the app on a daily basis for about 5 minutes a day for 21 consecutive days.

The VR consists of three sessions, each lasting about 30 minutes. Each VR session is guided by a trained researcher.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Goal-setting

In the control condition participants set goals (as in the intervention conditions), but receive no further guidance.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• First-year university student
• Dutch speaking

Exclusion Criteria

• Epileptic symptoms (due to VR condition)

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Universiteit Leiden

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jean-Louis van Gelder

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Jean-Louis van Gelder, Prof.dr.dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security, and Law; Leiden University

Locations

Leiden University

Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands

Countries

Netherlands

References

Mertens ECA, Siezenga AM, Tettero T, van Gelder JL. A future orientation intervention delivered through a smartphone application and virtual reality: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychol. 2022 Dec 20;10(1):315. doi: 10.1186/s40359-022-01025-x.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 36539846 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

772911-CRIMETIME

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id