Positive Psychology - Based EMl for Enhancing Well-Being

Positive Psychology-Based Ecological Momentary Intervention for Well-Being in College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of a positive psychology-based ecological momentary intervention (EMI) for enhancing well-being in college students. A three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) will assess the impact of a dynamic EMI that delivers personalized exercises when participants' real-time affect or well-being scores fall below a predefined threshold, compared to control conditions. Primary outcomes include changes in well-being and mental health, evaluated through a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative measures and qualitative interviews.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy Participants Study
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Intervention; Behavioral: Active Control

Detailed Description

This study aims to evaluate a Positive Psychology-based Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) designed to enhance well-being among college students. A three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted to examine the intervention's effectiveness. The EMI integrates core positive psychology practices-such as gratitude, mindfulness, and acts of kindness-and is delivered through a mobile application in real time. The intervention features a dynamic, adaptive algorithm that provides personalized exercises when participants' real-time affect or well-being scores fall below a predefined threshold. Primary outcomes include changes in well-being and mental health . A mixed-methods design will be employed, combining quantitative assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up with qualitative post-intervention interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of the intervention's impact and user experience.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 354
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Bryant HUI; Phone Number: +852 2766 7744; Email: phhui@polyu.edu.hk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Tao ZHANG; Phone Number: +852 9423 3827; Email: tao-t.zhang@connect.polyu.hk

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Kowloon, Hong Kong
    • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants in our study are healthy college students.
• Have smartphone, and have access to the internet.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to use a smartphone.
• Have significant cognitive impairment that prevents participation in the research

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: EMI Group; Participants in this group will use the app which delivers EMI exercises adaptively. Twice daily, the app assesses their momentary affect and well-being. If scores fall below a preset threshold, a corresponding intervention exercise (e.g., gratitude, mindfulness) is automatically triggered. They also complete a daily evening assessment. The intervention lasts 14 days.	Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Intervention; This is a smartphone-based ecological momentary intervention (EMI) that delivers psychological exercises (e.g., gratitude, mindfulness) in an adaptive, "as-needed" manner. Twice daily, the app algorithm assesses a participant's self-reported momentary affect and well-being. If the scores fall below a preset, moderate threshold, a corresponding intervention exercise is automatically triggered. The goal is to provide personalized support at moments of greatest need.
Active Comparator: Active Control Group; Participants in this group will use the app to complete a fixed set of six EMI exercises twice daily, regardless of their current emotional state. This controls for the general effect of receiving the intervention content and frequency. They also complete the same daily evening assessment as the other groups. The phase lasts 14 days.	Behavioral: Active Control; This is a smartphone-based ecological momentary intervention (EMI) that delivers the same suite of psychological exercises on a fixed schedule, regardless of the user's current state. Participants are prompted to complete all six available exercises twice daily. This intervention controls for the general effects of exposure to the exercise content and engagement with the app, allowing for a comparison with the adaptive, algorithm-guided EMI.
No Intervention: No-Intervention Control Group; Participants in this group will use the app only for assessment purposes. They complete the same twice-daily momentary assessments and the daily evening assessment as the other groups, but do not receive any intervention exercises. This controls for the effects of repeated self-monitoring. The phase lasts 14 days.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Affect	The 20-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form (PANAS-SF) will be used to measure affective states. This scale comprises two subscales: Positive Affect (10 items) and Negative Affect (10 items). Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely). Higher scores on each subscale indicate higher levels of the respective affect.	Baseline (pre-intervention); Immediately after the intervention (2 week after baseline)); 1-month follow-up (1 month after intervention)
Happiness	The 4-item Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) will be utilized to assess participants' subjective happiness. Each item will be rated on a 7-point Likert scale. Elevated scores on the scale indicate a greater level of subjective happiness.	Baseline (pre-intervention); Immediately after the intervention (2 weeks after baseline); 1-month follow-up (1 month after intervention)
Flourishing	The 8-item Flourishing Scale (FS) will be used to measure psychological well-being and self-perceived success in important areas such as relationships, self-esteem, and purpose. Each item is rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating a greater level of psychological well-being.	Baseline (pre-intervention); Immediately after the intervention (2 weeks after baseline); 1-month follow-up (1 month after intervention)
Satisfaction with Life	Satisfaction with life is measured by the 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). All items are rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating higher satisfaction with life.	Baseline (pre-intervention); Immediately after the intervention (2 weeks after baseline); 1-month follow-up (1 month after intervention)
Psychological distress	The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) will be used to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each subscale contains 7 items, rated on a 4-point severity scale from 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much, or most of the time). Higher scores indicate more severe levels of depression, anxiety, or stress.	Baseline (pre-intervention); Immediately after the intervention (2 weeks after baseline); 1-month follow-up (1 month after intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
State Subjective Happiness	State Subjective Happiness will be measured by the 2-item Subjective Happiness Scale with each item rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (not a very happy person) to 7 (a very happy person).	During the 14-day intervention period, this measurement is conducted twice per day as part of the momentary assessments, and once each evening as part of the Daily Diary assessment at 9:00 PM.
State affect	State affect will be tapped by the 9-item Ecological Mood Indicator. Participants indicate their momentary feelings on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (extremely), for NA (e.g., depressed, worried/anxious, and unhappy) and PA (e.g., joyful, happy, and enjoyment/fun)	During the 14-day intervention period, this measurement is conducted twice per day as part of the momentary assessments, and once each evening as part of the Daily Diary assessment at 9:00 PM.
State Well-Being	State stress will be measured with one item adapted from the Psychological Stress Measure (PSM-9) using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (Not at all stressed) to 4 (Extremely stressed).	During the 14-day intervention period, this measure is also administered each evening at 9:00 PM as part of the Daily Diary assessment.
State Anxiety and Depression	State Anxiety and Depression will be measured with the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression and Anxiety (PHQ-4). Responses are scored as 0 ("not at all"), 1 ("several days"), 2 ("more than half the days"), or 3 ("nearly every day"), with the total score on this composite measure ranging from 0 to 12.	During the 14-day intervention period, this measure is also administered each evening at 9:00 PM as part of the Daily Diary assessment.
State Stress	State stress will be measured by a single item asking participants to rate their current stress level on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (Not at all stressed) to 4 (Extremely stressed).	During the 14-day intervention period, this measure is also administered each evening at 9:00 PM as part of the Daily Diary assessment.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Socio-demographic variables	The following socio-demographic variables such as sex, age, grade, and family income will be collected.	Baseline (pre-intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 6, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 6, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 6, 2026
• Last Verified: October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: HSEARS20231201008-03

Drug and device information, study documents

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