The Effects of Anger and Joy Expressions on Approach and Avoidance Behaviors in Healthy Volunteers

Behavioral Adaptation to Negative and Positive Social Signals in Healthy Volunteers

Social interactions are part of our daily lives. Communicating with others is a recurring choice which is based on emotional cues, such as facial expression. Our action must be adapted to the emotional state of our interlocutor, otherwise the investigators will have poor quality interactions An emotional stimulus would cause a conditioned response (innate reaction). Thus, the presence of an angry person would automatically trigger flight behavior. More recently, however, it has been envisioned that this same avoidance behavior could be the result of a goal-directed behvior. In this case, the avoidance behavior would be the result of an evaluation of the consequences of the selected action. These goal-directed behaviors are guided by a mental representation of consequences The project aims to study behavioral choices (approach and avoidance) in response to negative and positive social cues (anger and joy) in 40 healthy volunteers using a computerized neuropsychological task, and to determine wheter these choices are the result of goal-directed behavior.

The study also aims to assess the modulation of behavioral adaptation by the level of impulsivity, lonilness, empathy, and by the capcity to understand others' intenstions.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Major Depressive Episode

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 40

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Emilie OLIE, MD PhD; Phone Number: +33 4 67 33 85 81; Email: e-olie@chu-montpellier.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Nathan RISCH, MD (intern); Email: risch.nathan@gmail.com

Study Locations

• France
  • Montpellier, France, 34295
    • Recruiting
    • University Hospital
    • Contact: Emilie OLIE, MD PhD; Phone Number: 33 4 67 33 82 89; Email: e-olie@chu-montpellier.fr
    • Contact: Myriam BENRAMDANE; Phone Number: 33 4 99 61 45 75; Email: m-benramdane@chu-montpellier.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy volunteers

Description

Inclusion criteria:

• Being between 18 and 65 years old
• Absence of psychiatric pathology over the entire life
• Being able to understand the nature, purpose and methodology of the study

Exclusion criteria:

• Mental retardation or sever medical co-morbidity
• Sensory or cognitive disability
• Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
• Protection by law (guardianship or curatorship)
• Deprivation of liberty (by judicial or administrative decision)
• Exclusion period in relation to another protocol
• Inability to understand, speak and write French

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Percentage of approach and avoidance behavior in response to positive (joy) and negative (anger) social signals	Calculation of the proportion of avoidance vs. approach choices	1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Response time	Computerized measurement of reaction time before clicking to make the avoidance or approach choice	1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Montpellier
• Investigators: Study Director: Emilie Olie, MD PhD, University Hospital, Montpellier

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 30, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 24, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 8, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 6, 2021
• Last Verified: September 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Emotion; Motivation; Decision making; Goal-director behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: RECHMPL21_0304

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided
• IPD Plan Description: NC

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No