Racial Discrimination, Pain, and the Buffering Influences of Acknowledgment

Black young adults (aged 18-30; N = 92) were racially included (i.e., received the ball an equal number of times) or excluded (i.e., received the ball only once) by other White players in a ball-tossing computer game called Cyberball; White experimenters acknowledged the exclusion for half of the excluded participants. Participants completed a cold-pressor task twice to measure pain sensitivity (threshold, tolerance, and unpleasantness): immediately prior, and after the Cyberball (and acknowledgment) manipulation. Participants also completed a post-manipulation survey examining the psychological effects of racial exclusion and acknowledgment (i.e., psychological needs satisfaction, negative affect, control).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pain, Acute
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Bystander Acknowledgment

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 92
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • District of Columbia
    • Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20052
      • The George Washington University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants identify as Black/African American
• Age 18-30

Exclusion Criteria:

• Past 30-day persistent pain
• Cardiovascular or circulatory disorders
• Diabetes
• Current pregnancy
• Open sores/frostbite on nondominant hand

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Exclusion by White "Players"; Excluded by White "players" in an online ball-tossing game (Cyberball).
No Intervention: Inclusion by White "Players"; Included by White "players" in an online ball-tossing game (Cyberball).
Experimental: Exclusion by White "Players" with Bystander Acknowledgment; Excluded by White "players" in an online ball-tossing game (Cyberball) with a White bystander acknowledging the exclusion.	Other: Bystander Acknowledgment; The experimenter said "That is so messed up that they excluded you in the task. And honestly, I would say it was racist…" acknowledgment of the participants experience, "…this shouldn't have happened, and I'm really sorry it did…" an apology, and "…I'm going to talk to the primary investigators of the study to figure out how we can make sure that this won't happen to other people" a plan of action.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Threshold measured with a cold pressor task	Time (in seconds) from the participant places their hand in cold water, to telling the experimenter they are experiencing pain.	Measured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).
Pain Tolerance	Time (in seconds) from the participant places their hand in cold water, to when they remove their hand from the water.	Measured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).
Pain unpleasantness	Measured with a the McGill-Pain Questionnaire Short Form, the degree of unpleasantness the participant reports from the pain.	Measured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Self Control subscale	Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)	Measured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Belongingness subscale	Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)	Measured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Meaningful Existence subscale	Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)	Measured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).
Psychological Needs Satisfaction; Self esteem subscale	Needs-Satisfaction Scale (Zadro et al., 2004)	Measured immediately after the manipulation (within minutes).

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: George Washington University
• Collaborators: Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues; Psi Chi; D.C. Psychological Association

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• OSF Preregistration

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 31, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): January 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 23, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 27, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): November 2, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 2, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 27, 2023
• Last Verified: October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: racism; discrimination
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Acute Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: 224125

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Shared data will be available on OSF

Drug and device information, study documents

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