Factorial Trial Testing Guided Thinking Tasks to Optimize a Physical Activity Intervention
August 18, 2026 updated by: Southern Methodist University
Factorial Trial to Test Unique and Combined Effects of Guided Thinking Tasks to Optimize a Physical Activity Intervention Among Underactive Adults
The objective of this study is to optimize a novel, audio-recorded physical activity intervention that is scalable.
Using principles of the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) framework, a full factorial study will test the unique and combined effects of different intervention components to identify which combination of components is optimal for increasing physical activity and mechanisms by which the components are or are not effective.
This information will inform decisions about an optimal intervention package that is effective, efficient, and minimizes participant burden.
Study Overview
Status
Status
Completed
Conditions
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
Eligible participants who provide informed consent will be enrolled in a 6-week study.
At the baseline session, participants will be randomized to listen to a brief audio-recording of different guided thinking tasks.
The audio-recordings are based on combinations of four different intervention components that will be tested in a 2 (positive affect imagery vs. neutral) x 2 (episodic future thinking vs. recent thinking) x 2 (action planning: yes, no) x 2 (dose: high vs. low) factorial trial.
Participants will also complete a 30-minute brisk walking session on a treadmill.
Participants will return for weekly visits in which they again listen to their assigned audio-recording and complete a 30-minute brisk walking session.
Study Type
Study Type
Interventional
Enrollment (Actual)
Enrollment
184
Phase
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.
Study Contact
Study Contact
- Name: Colin Lamb, BA
- Phone Number: 2147681545
- Email: colinl@smu.edu
Study Locations
-
-
Texas
-
Dallas, Texas, United States, 75205
- Southern Methodist University
-
-
Participation Criteria
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
18 years to 64 years (Adult)
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adults ages 18-64
- Not currently meeting physical activity guidelines (<150 minutes/week of self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity)
- Capable of providing informed consent
- Access to a smartphone with active data plan
- Willing to attend all study visits and comply with the protocol
- Conversant in English
Exclusion Criteria:
- BMI > 40
- orthopedic problems that would limit physical activity
- self-reported coronary artery disease, stroke, COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, diabetes
Study Plan
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Treatment
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
- Masking: None (Open Label)
Number of Arms
16
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / ArmParticipant Group / Arm |
Intervention / TreatmentIntervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: Condition 1
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 2
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 3
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 4
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 5
1) Recent thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 6
1) Recent thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 7
1) Recent thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 8
1) Recent thinking; 2) Positive affect imagery; 3) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about positive feelings and associations about physical activity in specific, personal, and positive detail.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
|
|
Experimental: Condition 9
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
|
Experimental: Condition 10
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
|
Experimental: Condition 11
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
|
Experimental: Condition 12
1) Episodic future thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about themselves at a future, positive event and to imagine the event in vivid and specific detail.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
|
Experimental: Condition 13
1) Recent thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
|
Experimental: Condition 14
1) Recent thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) Action planning; 4) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about the remainder of their week and when, where, and how they plan to attain their remaining activity for the week.
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
|
Experimental: Condition 15
1) Recent thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) High intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 5 times/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
|
Experimental: Condition 16
1) Recent thinking; 2) Neutral imagery; 3) Low intervention dose
|
Participants will listen to the audio-recording with the guided thinking tasks 1 time/week.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to think about a regular habit or activity they completed in the past week and to imagine that activity in specific and vivid detail.
Participants will listen to a guided thinking task directing them to imagine physical sensations (i.e., movements, muscles used) of a routine, daily activity (non-physical activity).
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in Weekly Physical Activity Minutes Across 6 Weeks (accelerometer-assessed)
Time Frame: Assessed weekly at Weeks 1-6
|
Amount of weekly moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) minutes (i.e., minutes of MPVA weighted by intensity) will be determined from accelerometers (ActiGraph wGT3X-BT) worn for one-week periods for six consecutive weeks.
|
Assessed weekly at Weeks 1-6
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in Weekly Physical Activity Minutes Across 6 Weeks (self-reported)
Time Frame: Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
Amount of weekly self-reported MVPA (i.e., minutes of MPVA weighted by intensity) will be determined using the 7-day Physical Activity Recall (PAR) interview.
|
Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
Other Outcome Measures
Other Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Affective Response to Exercise
Time Frame: Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
The Feeling Scale measures affective responses to exercise on a -5 to +5 scale with higher scores indicated a more positive affective response.
It will be assessed during- and post-exercise for the in-person brisk walking sessions.
Will be assessed as a putative mechanism.
|
Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
|
Intrinsic Motivation for Exercise
Time Frame: Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
The intrinsic subscale of the Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire measures intrinsic motivation using a 0 to 4 response scale with higher scores indicating greater intrinsic motivation.
It will be assessed after listening to the audio-recording in-person (post-intervention).
Will be assessed as a putative mechanism.
|
Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
|
Delayed Discounting
Time Frame: Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
The rapid delay discounting task will be assessed after listening to the audio-recording in-person (post-intervention).
Will be assessed as a putative mechanism.
|
Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
|
Action Planning
Time Frame: Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
The action planning scale (Sniehotta et al., 2005) measures action planning for physical activity on a 1 to 4 scale with higher scores indicating higher levels of planning.
It will be assessed after listening to the audio-recording in-person (post-intervention).
Will be assessed as a putative mechanism.
|
Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
|
Physical Activity Intentions
Time Frame: Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
The physical activity intentions scale (Conner et al., 2017) measures intentions for physical activity on a 1 to 5 scale with higher scores indicating stronger intentions.
It will be assessed after the in-person brisk walking session.
Will be assessed as a putative mechanism.
|
Assessed weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1-6
|
Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
Sponsor
Collaborators
Collaborators
Investigators
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Austin S. Baldwin, PhD, Southern Methodist University
Publications and helpful links
The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.
Study record dates
These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Study Start
February 14, 2022
Primary Completion (Actual)
Primary Completion
April 30, 2025
Study Completion (Actual)
Study Completion
April 30, 2025
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted
January 13, 2022
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
February 1, 2022
First Posted (Actual)
First Posted
February 11, 2022
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Posted
August 20, 2026
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
August 18, 2026
Last Verified
Last Verified
August 1, 2026
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
Other Study ID Numbers
- H21-003-BALA
- R21CA260360 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
YES
IPD Plan Description
De-identified data will be made available, in addition to the study protocol, statistical analysis plan, informed consent, and analytic code.
Data will be made available to interested parties after all the initial study analyses and outcomes have been published.
IPD Sharing Time Frame
Data will be made available one year after study completion.
IPD Sharing Access Criteria
Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal and sign a data use agreement.
Proposals should be submitted to Austin Baldwin.
IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type
- STUDY_PROTOCOL
- SAP
- ICF
- ANALYTIC_CODE
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
No
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