Chatbot Intervention Effects on Belief Updating in Anhedonia
Effects of a Chatbot-Based Intervention on Valence-Dependent Belief Updating and Expectancy Bias for Life Events in Individuals With Anhedonia
Visão geral do estudo
Status
Condições
Intervenção / Tratamento
Descrição detalhada
Anhedonia represents a core characteristic of depression and is characterized by reduced experience of pleasure. It is closely related to decreased motivation, altered reward processing, changes in affective responsiveness, and alterations in intrinsic brain network function. Anhedonia is not specifically targeted by currently available pharmacological interventions. Initial evidence indicates that an increased willingness to change and implementation of change in daily life can alleviate anhedonia.
The present study aims to examine whether a Motivational Interviewing-based AI chatbot can lead to changes in belief updating in college students with elevated anhedonia and depressive symptoms. Belief updating is included because anhedonia and depressive symptoms may be associated with biased or inflexible use of new information, which may influence future expectations, motivation, and engagement in rewarding activities. The belief updating task allows the study to examine how participants revise their expectations after receiving new information. To this end, eligible participants with a total score of 22 or higher on the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale and a score of 14 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory will undergo a randomized, between-subjects, active-control intervention study. Participants will be assigned to either a Motivational Interviewing-based chatbot group or an active control chatbot group for 1 week. Pre- and post-intervention assessments will include self-report questionnaires and a behavioral belief updating task to examine psychological and behavioral effects of the intervention.
Tipo de estudo
Inscrição (Estimado)
Estágio
- Não aplicável
Contactos e Locais
Contato de estudo
- Nome: Benjamin Becker, Dr
- Número de telefone: (852) 3917-5097
- E-mail: bbecker@hku.hk
Locais de estudo
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Sichuan
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Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Recrutamento
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
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Critérios de participação
Critérios de elegibilidade
Idades elegíveis para estudo
- Adulto
Aceita Voluntários Saudáveis
Descrição
Inclusion Criteria:
- 18-40 years
- Right-handed
- Normal or corrected normal visual acuity
- Participants must show elevated anhedonia and depressive symptoms at screening, defined as a total score of 22 or higher on the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale and a score of 14 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of major central nervous system disorders, such as epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, or brain tumors.
- History of severe mental illness, including schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, or other psychotic disorders.
- History of substance or alcohol use disorder or substance or alcohol misuse within the past 12 months that may affect study participation or outcome assessment.
- Individuals currently at high risk of suicide, severe self-harm, or experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis.
- Individuals who are currently using psychiatric medications or have undergone psychotherapy within the past 4 weeks that may significantly affect mood, motivation, or reward processing.
- Severe vision or hearing impairments that cannot be corrected and would interfere with task performance.
- Contraindications to MRI scanning, including metallic implants, pacemakers, severe claustrophobia, or other conditions incompatible with MRI.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Plano de estudo
Como o estudo é projetado?
Detalhes do projeto
- Finalidade Principal: Ciência básica
- Alocação: Randomizado
- Modelo Intervencional: Atribuição Paralela
- Mascaramento: Dobro
Armas e Intervenções
Grupo de Participantes / Braço |
Intervenção / Tratamento |
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Experimental: Motivational Interviewing-based AI chatbot group
Motivational Interviewing-based AI chatbot intervention
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The experimental chatbot is designed to use principles of Motivational Interviewing to support participants in exploring their personal values, motivation for change, and daily behavioral goals related to pleasure, engagement, and reward-seeking.
During the intervention period, participants will interact with the chatbot regularly through brief text-based conversations.
The chatbot will provide empathic, non-judgmental responses, encourage reflection on current difficulties, and help participants identify small, feasible actions that may increase daily engagement and positive experiences.
It will not provide diagnosis, crisis counseling, or medical treatment.
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Comparador Ativo: Active control chatbot group
Active control nature-story chatbot intervention
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Participants will interact with a chatbot matched in format and frequency of use.
This chatbot will provide neutral nature-related stories or general natural history content.
It will be designed to maintain participant engagement while avoiding therapeutic techniques, motivational interviewing strategies, behavioral activation guidance, or personalized mental health advice.
This active control condition will help control for nonspecific effects of chatbot interaction, attention, expectancy, and digital engagement.
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O que o estudo está medindo?
Medidas de resultados primários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
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Valence-dependent belief updating bias
Prazo: Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Belief updating magnitude will be calculated separately for positive and negative information conditions in the belief updating task before and after the intervention.
Updating magnitude will be quantified based on changes in probability estimates before and after the presentation of new information.
The difference in updating magnitude between positive and negative information conditions will be calculated and compared from baseline to post-intervention.
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Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Medidas de resultados secundários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
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Expectancy bias for life events
Prazo: Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention
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Before receiving base-rate information or new information, participants will provide initial probability estimates for positive and negative life events at baseline and post-intervention.
Mean initial estimates will be calculated separately for the two event types, and pre-to-post changes in the difference between positive and negative event estimates will be compared.
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Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention
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Colaboradores e Investigadores
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- BAM_lab_MI_05
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