The Protective Effect of Friendship on Peer Rejection in Overweight and Normal Weight Youth

This study examines youth's motivation for food or social rewards after a brief episode of simulated ostracism. The investigators hypothesize that youth who think about a friend after being ostracized will mediate their decision to resort to food, which is typically evidenced in socially isolated overweight youth.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Control; Social Exclusion
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Ostracism

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 104
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Buffalo, New York, United States, 14214
      • University at Buffalo Division of Behavioral Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 14 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• General liking for all study foods

Exclusion Criteria:

• Food allergies
• Medical or Psychological disorders

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control; Individuals who receive the ball during a computerized ball tossing game about the same number of times as the other players in the game.
Other: Ostracism; Participant would receive the ball of a ball-tossing game once or twice in the beginning and then never again for the duration of the game.	Behavioral: Ostracism; Participants would received the ball of a computerized ball-tossing game once or twice in the beginning and then never again for the duration of the game.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Amount of food consumed after playing a computer game	Participants' food consumption after playing a computer game is measured at the end of the study session	Measured once during this 3-6 month study
The number of points earned for a snack food or social interaction.	Participants' motivation to earn a reward is measured by the number of mouse clicks participants completed to obtain the reward.	Measured once during this 3-6 month study

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University at Buffalo

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 8, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 28, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): March 29, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): September 30, 2011
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2011
• Last Verified: September 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Weight; Overweight
• Other Study ID Numbers: 3857