Identification With the Aggressor (IWA)

NCT ID: NCT06783231

Last Updated: 2025-01-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 300 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2003-04-02
• Study Completion Date: 2026-01-01

Brief Summary

This is a randomized control study, comprising of 2 assessments :before (T1) and after (T2) the identification with the aggressor (IWA) lab task.

Detailed Description

Background: Abuse is a severe trauma that has multiple psychological implications. One of the most paradoxical effects of CA is the identification with the aggressor (IWA) phenomenon. Research to date has indicated associations between IWA and various negative outcomes, such as PTSD, dissociation, guilt, suicidality, and increased likelihood of returning to abusive relationships . Nonetheless, these studies were based on a cross-sectional design, and thus excluded the possibility of establishing causality or shedding light on the complex dynamics of IWA. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, no experimental research has been conducted on IWA thus far. This type of study is required to examine causal relationships between IWA and potential outcomes. In an attempt to bridge this gap, the current study will serve as a pilot study examining the efficacy of a new lab task designed to ethically but validly manipulate a state of IWA among women with and without a history of abuse. Developing a tool that experimentally manipulates IWA under laboratory conditions will allow examining the influences of IWA, while controlling for other consequences of the abuse, trauma, or life circumstances. In order to test the effectiveness of our lab task, the investigators will compare measurements of relevant outcomes before and after the task in the process.

Methods:

This is a randomized controlled trial comprising of 2 assessments :before (T1) and after (T2) experimental manipulation. Participants with and without history of interpersonal abuse will be randomly allocated to one of three study conditions and will receive different instructions before listening to the audio recording of the identification with the aggressor (IWA) lab task: (1) The 'identification with the aggressor' group will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view of the perpetrator; (2) The 'identification with the victim' group will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view of with the victim; (3) The control group will be asked to pay attention to the story's details and to try and remember as much details as they can.

Population: the investigators will recruit 300 female adults with and without history of interpersonal abuse. Participants with a history of interpersonal abuse will be identified via questionnaires during screening. The sample size was calculated based on power analyses via G*Power 3 software derived from p-value of .05 and statistical power of .80.

Tools: outcome measures will be consist self-report questionnaires as well as Reading the Mind in the Eye Test (RMET; Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) and two new versions of Implicit Association Tests (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee & Schwartz, 1998) created for the purpose of the present study. The experimental manipulation will comprise of the identification with the aggressor (IWA) lab task.

Expected Results: Findings may advance the understanding both mechanisms at the basis of IWA as well as its effects, and in this way may contribute to developing preventative measures for IWA among abuse survivors.

Conditions

Female; Abuse Neglect; Abuse Physical; Abuse, Child

Study Design

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

Study Groups

The 'identification with the aggressor' group

In this experimental group participants will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view of Lori (the perpetrator), before listening to the audio recording portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Identifying with the aggressor

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The IWA lab task consists 10 min audio recorded story, portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim). The story was carefully designed to align with ethical considerations - it is non-graphic, contains no severe acts of violence, and mostly describes a romantic power dynamic which may be considered abusive or toxic. The three groups of participants will receive different instructions before listening to the audio recording. The 'identification with the aggressor' group will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view of Lori (the perpetrator)

The 'identification with the victim' group

In this experimental group participants will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view Sophia (the victim), before listening to the audio recording portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim).

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Identifying with the victim

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The IWA lab task consists 10 min audio recorded story, portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim). The story was carefully designed to align with ethical considerations - it is non-graphic, contains no severe acts of violence, and mostly describes a romantic power dynamic which may be considered abusive or toxic. The three groups of participants will receive different instructions before listening to the audio recording. The 'identification with the victim' group will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view of Sophia (the victim)

The control group

In this experimental group participants will be asked to pay attention to the story's details and to try and remember as much details as they can, before listening to the audio recording portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim).

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Neutral

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The IWA lab task consists 10 min audio recorded story, portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim). The story was carefully designed to align with ethical considerations - it is non-graphic, contains no severe acts of violence, and mostly describes a romantic power dynamic which may be considered abusive or toxic. The three groups of participants will receive different instructions before listening to the audio recording. The control group will be asked to pay attention to the story's details and to try and remember as much details as they can.

Interventions

Identifying with the aggressor

The IWA lab task consists 10 min audio recorded story, portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim). The story was carefully designed to align with ethical considerations - it is non-graphic, contains no severe acts of violence, and mostly describes a romantic power dynamic which may be considered abusive or toxic. The three groups of participants will receive different instructions before listening to the audio recording. The 'identification with the aggressor' group will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view of Lori (the perpetrator)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Identifying with the victim

The IWA lab task consists 10 min audio recorded story, portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim). The story was carefully designed to align with ethical considerations - it is non-graphic, contains no severe acts of violence, and mostly describes a romantic power dynamic which may be considered abusive or toxic. The three groups of participants will receive different instructions before listening to the audio recording. The 'identification with the victim' group will be asked to try to identify, understand and adopt the point of view of Sophia (the victim)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Neutral

The IWA lab task consists 10 min audio recorded story, portraying a romantic relationship between two women (Lori and Sophia), in which one of them (Lori - the perpetrator) is being aggressive towards the other (Sophia - the victim). The story was carefully designed to align with ethical considerations - it is non-graphic, contains no severe acts of violence, and mostly describes a romantic power dynamic which may be considered abusive or toxic. The three groups of participants will receive different instructions before listening to the audio recording. The control group will be asked to pay attention to the story's details and to try and remember as much details as they can.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Good command of Hebrew language
• Age 18 or older

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder
• Persistent drug use
• Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
• Hearing or vision difficulties (that may impair the experimental manipulation and participants' ability to complete the Reading the Mind in the Eyes and the IAT tasks).
• Being currently subjected to abuse
• Suicidal risk, as assessed by a clinical interview.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Bar-Ilan University, Israel

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Tel Aviv University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Yael Lahav

Prof. Yael Lahav

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Yael Lahav, Phd

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Tel Aviv University

Danny Horesh, Phd

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Bar Ilan University

Other Identifiers

0009390-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id