The Social Regulation of Threat-related Vigilance and Arousal
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
This study will examine the effects of social support on threat vigilance and arousal using eye tracking. We will also test the moderating effects of trauma and discrimination history.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
Both interpersonal trauma (IPT) and ethno-racial discrimination amplify risk for hyper-arousal symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the mechanism of this effect is unclear. Prior research suggests that social support plays an important role in regulating emotional responses, a process called social emotion regulation. This study will test whether a history of IPT and/or ethno-racial discrimination influence the social regulation of arousal and vigilance. Social regulation will be tested by contrasting responses under conditions with and without social support.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Social support from a romantic partner Participants will hold the hand of their romantic partner |
Behavioral: social support
social support is provided in the form of social touch (hand holding)
|
| Active Comparator: Social support from a stranger Participants will hold the hand of a stranger |
Behavioral: social support
social support is provided in the form of social touch (hand holding)
|
| No Intervention: No social support Participants will hold a stress ball |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Vigilance Related Eye Movements - Number of Eye Fixations [Collected from minute 15 to minute 45 of study participation, approximately]
Participants will view 15 pictures of natural environmental scenes for 10 seconds per image. We will use an eye tracker to examine the number of eye fixations per scene. A greater number of fixations during the 10 second presentation of a scene would indicate greater vigilance.
- Vigilance Related Eye Movements - Visual Scanning [Collected from minute 15 to minute 45 of study participation, approximately]
Participants will view 15 pictures of natural environmental scenes for 10 seconds per image. We will use an eye tracker to examine the proportion of the scene that they look at (fixate on) out of approximately 80 possible sectors. A greater proportion of the scene they fixate on would indicate greater vigilance.
- Threat-Related Physiological Arousal - Pupil Dilation [Collected from minute 45 to minute 75 of study participation, approximately]
Participants will view a series of visual cues (either an 'X' or an 'O') where an 'X' signals a possible (20% probability) aversive auditory stimulus (human scream). We will examine pupil dilation during the task in order to measure arousal in response to uncertain threat. We will calculate average pupil dilation during the wait period after threat cues (X) and after safety cues (O). We will subtract average pupil dilation after safety cues from threat cues to create an index of threat-related arousal. Greater pupil dilation (for threat minus safety cues) would indicate greater threat-related arousal.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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In a stable romantic relationship for 6 months or more
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Normal vision or corrected-to-normal vision
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Fluent in English
Exclusion Criteria:
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If vision is corrected-to-normal, needs to use hard contact lenses, bifocal contact lenses, or glasses
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Experienced a traumatic event within the past 4 weeks
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Nevada, Reno | Reno | Nevada | United States | 89557 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- University of Nevada, Reno
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Cynthia L Lancaster, PhD, University of Nevada, Reno
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 1883993-2