Future OrientationNCT05578755
Evaluation of a Novel Intervention Aimed at Instilling Future-oriented Mindsets and Behaviors Using a Smartphone Application and Immersive Virtual Reality
A study testing FutureU and Goal-setting in people with Future Orientation and Self-defeating Behavior, run by Universiteit Leiden at 1 site in Netherlands.
Trial summary
Short-term thinking, or the inability to make informed tradeoffs between immediate benefits and longer-term costs, has been related to a variety of negative or self-defeating behaviors, such as substance use, impulsive decision making, and delinquency, whereas future-oriented thinking tends to be positively associated… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Future Orientation, Self-defeating Behavior, Future Self-identification
- What is being tested?
- FutureU and Goal-setting
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 321 participants
- Where
- 1 siteNetherlands
- Study dates
- 19 Oct 2022to 31 Jan 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- First-year university student
- Dutch speaking
Who cannot join
- Epileptic symptoms (due to VR condition)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Short-term thinking, or the inability to make informed tradeoffs between immediate benefits and longer-term costs, has been related to a variety of negative or self-defeating behaviors, such as substance use, impulsive decision making, and delinquency, whereas future-oriented thinking tends to be positively associated with positive behaviors, such as self-esteem, planning, and goal-directed behaviors. To bolster people's psychosocial development, the investigators are developing an intervention, FutureU, aimed at instilling future-oriented mindsets and behaviors by strengthening people's identification with who they may be in the future, i.e., their 'future self'. Through the use of a smartphone application (app) and immersive virtual reality (VR), participants interact with a visual representation of their future self. In the present study, the investigators will evaluate the current iteration of this intervention and compare the FutureU app and FutureU VR with each other and with a goal-setting control group. Knowledge and insights gained from this study will be used to further develop the FutureU intervention program and can provide insights for intervention theory building and implementation strategies.
Read the detailed description
People with a short-term mindset tend be focused on the here-and-now and are inclined to disregard the more distant consequences of their actions. This often results in self-defeating behaviors, i.e., behaviors that provide immediate gains but that may simultaneously incur significant costs in the longer run (e.g., substance use, delinquency, overspending). In contrast, people who are more future-oriented typically balance the immediate gains against the longer-term consequences of their decisions and are more inclined to set goals for the future. The investigators are developing an intervention, FutureU, aiming to promote future-oriented mindsets and behaviors by strengthening people's identification with their 'future self'. The level of identification with the future self depends on the extent to which people are able to vividly imagine their future self (i.e., vividness), feel positively towards their future self (i.e., valence), and feel similar and connected to their future self (i.e., related). During the intervention, participants interact with their future self. This future self is developed on the basis of a digitally aged image of themselves. In order to present the visual representation of the participants' future self, the investigators implement the intervention via a smartphone application (app) and via immersive virtual reality (VR). The present study examines the current iteration of the FutureU intervention, which is developed within an ongoing research program. The findings of this study will be used to further develop and optimize the FutureU intervention.
In a three-armed Randomized Controlled Trial, the investigators will evaluate the FutureU intervention by examining 1) its effectiveness on both proximal and distal outcomes, 2) its working mechanisms, and 3) moderators of intervention effects. It is hypothesized that FutureU will increase participants' future-oriented mindsets and behaviors (e.g., increase future orientation, enhance goal achievement, and reduce self-defeating behaviors). There are no specific expectations regarding differences in effectiveness between the two implementation strategies (app vs. VR). Regarding the working mechanisms, the hypothesis is that intervention effects of FutureU are mediated by increases in future self-identification. Concerning moderators, the investigators will examine the moderating role of personality traits within an intervention context in an exploratory fashion. Furthermore, associations between usage patterns (e.g., length and frequency of use), engagement levels and intervention outcomes will be examined, and the goals set by the participants will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.
- Being tested
- FutureU, Goal-setting
- Keywords
- Smartphone application, Virtual reality, Digital behavior change intervention, Future self-identification, Future orientation, Self-defeating behavior, Goals, Short-term mindsets, Long-term mindsets, Intervention, Randomized Controlled Trial, Engagement
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
FutureUBehavioural
FutureU is based on the assumption that future orientation can be strengthened by increasing the extent to which people identify with their future self. People who identify more with their future self appear to be more inclined to make more altruistic choices favoring their future self and foregoing immediate gratification. The intervention provides psychoeducation and exposure to and interaction with the future self. Participants interact with a digitally aged version of themselves, i.e., their 'future self', using a smartphone application (app) or through immersive virtual reality (VR).
The app consists of three week-long modules. Participants interact with the app on a daily basis for about 5 minutes a day for 21 consecutive days.
The VR consists of three sessions, each lasting about 30 minutes. Each VR session is guided by a trained researcher.
Goal-settingBehavioural
In the control condition participants set goals (as in the intervention conditions), but receive no further guidance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone-based intervention | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: FutureU |
| Virtual reality intervention | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: FutureU |
| Goal-setting control condition | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Goal-setting |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Future self-identification
Future self-identification, that is, the degree to which people have a clear image of their future self and can identify with their future self, will be assessed with 8 items based on Hershfield et al. (2009) and Van Gelder et al. (2015). These items measure the degree to which people can imagine their future self vividly (i.e., vividness), the level of positive feelings towards the future self (i.e., valence), and the extent to which people feel connected and similar to their future self (i.e., relatedness).
Measured: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 1 and 2 weeks after baseline (i.e., during the intervention), 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Future Orientation
Future orientation measuring time perspective, anticipation of future consequences, and planning ahead will be assessed with the Future orientation Scale (Steinberg et al., 2009) consisting of 15 items (α = .80).
Measured: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 1 and 2 weeks after baseline (i.e., during the intervention), 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Consideration of future consequences
The degree to which people take immediate versus distant consequences into account in potential behaviors will be assessed with the Consideration of Future Consequences questionnaire (Bruderer Enzler, 2013; Strathman et al., 1994) consisting of 9 items.
Measured: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Self-defeating behavior
Self-defeating behavior, that is, behaviors with immediate gains though long-term costs, will be measured with 15 items representing different self-defeating behaviors based on the measure of Van Gelder et al. (2015).
Measured: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 1 and 2 weeks after baseline (i.e., during the intervention), 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Goal commitment
Commitment to the goal participants set for the year will be measured using the Goal Commitment Questionnaire (Hollenbeck et al., 1989) which consists of 7 items (α = .71).
Measured: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Goal achievement
Weekly and monthly goal achievement will be assessed with 3 self-developed items measuring how often participants thought about their goal, worked towards their goal, and to what extend they achieved their goal.
Measured: Assessed during the 3-week intervention.
Secondary outcomes (3)
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy, that is, people's sense of competence to effectively deal with life stressors, will be measured with the General Self-efficacy Questionnaire (Schwarzer \& Jerusalem, 1995) consisting of 10 items (range α = .75 - .91).
Measured: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Academic results
Academic results, i.e., grade point average, will be requested from the university at the end of the academic year after participants' consent.
Measured: Up to 10 months after baseline
Impulsiveness
Impulsiveness, indicated by lack of impulse control on planning, motor, and attention will be assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale short form (Spinella, 2007) consisting of 15 items (α = .79).
Measured: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Oct 2022
- Study start19 Oct 2022
- Primary completion31 Dec 2023
- Study completion31 Jan 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Future OrientationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- There are three arms: 1) smartphone-based intervention, 2) immersive virtual reality intervention, and 3) active, goal-setting, control group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 321 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universiteit Leiden
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jean-Louis van Gelder, Universiteit Leiden
- Investigators
- Jean-Louis van Gelder, Prof.dr.dr., Principal investigator, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security, and Law; Leiden University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05578755
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 772911-CRIMETIME
- Status last verified
- May 2024
- First submitted
- 5 Oct 2022
- Last updated
- 8 May 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Mertens ECA, Siezenga AM, Tettero T, van Gelder JL. A future orientation intervention delivered through a smartphone application and virtual reality: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychol. 2022 Dec 20;10(1):315. doi: 10.1186/s40359-022-01025-x.
PubMed 36539846
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 May 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of a Novel Intervention Aimed at Instilling Future-oriented Mindsets and Behaviors Using a Smartphone Application and Immersive Virtual Reality
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05578755
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 772911-CRIMETIME
- Keywords
- Smartphone application, Virtual reality, Digital behavior change intervention, Future self-identification, Future orientation, Self-defeating behavior, Goals, Short-term mindsets
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 321 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universiteit LeidenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 19 Oct 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 Oct 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Short-term thinking, or the inability to make informed tradeoffs between immediate benefits and longer-term costs, has been related to a variety of negative or self-defeating behaviors, such as substance use, impulsive decision making, and delinquency, whereas future-oriented thinking tends to be positively associated with positive behaviors, such as self-esteem, planning, and goal-directed behaviors. To bolster people's psychosocial development, the investigators are developing an intervention, FutureU, aimed at instilling future-oriented mindsets and behaviors by strengthening people's identification with who they may be in the future, i.e., their 'future self'. Through the use of a smartphone application (app) and immersive virtual reality (VR), participants interact with a visual representation of their future self. In the present study, the investigators will evaluate the current iteration of this intervention and compare the FutureU app and FutureU VR with each other and with a goal-setting control group. Knowledge and insights gained from this study will be used to further develop the FutureU intervention program and can provide insights for intervention theory building and implementation strategies.
Detailed description
People with a short-term mindset tend be focused on the here-and-now and are inclined to disregard the more distant consequences of their actions. This often results in self-defeating behaviors, i.e., behaviors that provide immediate gains but that may simultaneously incur significant costs in the longer run (e.g., substance use, delinquency, overspending). In contrast, people who are more future-oriented typically balance the immediate gains against the longer-term consequences of their decisions and are more inclined to set goals for the future. The investigators are developing an intervention, FutureU, aiming to promote future-oriented mindsets and behaviors by strengthening people's identification with their 'future self'. The level of identification with the future self depends on the extent to which people are able to vividly imagine their future self (i.e., vividness), feel positively towards their future self (i.e., valence), and feel similar and connected to their future self (i.e., related). During the intervention, participants interact with their future self. This future self is developed on the basis of a digitally aged image of themselves. In order to present the visual representation of the participants' future self, the investigators implement the intervention via a smartphone application (app) and via immersive virtual reality (VR). The present study examines the current iteration of the FutureU intervention, which is developed within an ongoing research program. The findings of this study will be used to further develop and optimize the FutureU intervention.
In a three-armed Randomized Controlled Trial, the investigators will evaluate the FutureU intervention by examining 1) its effectiveness on both proximal and distal outcomes, 2) its working mechanisms, and 3) moderators of intervention effects. It is hypothesized that FutureU will increase participants' future-oriented mindsets and behaviors (e.g., increase future orientation, enhance goal achievement, and reduce self-defeating behaviors). There are no specific expectations regarding differences in effectiveness between the two implementation strategies (app vs. VR). Regarding the working mechanisms, the hypothesis is that intervention effects of FutureU are mediated by increases in future self-identification. Concerning moderators, the investigators will examine the moderating role of personality traits within an intervention context in an exploratory fashion. Furthermore, associations between usage patterns (e.g., length and frequency of use), engagement levels and intervention outcomes will be examined, and the goals set by the participants will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- There are three arms: 1) smartphone-based intervention, 2) immersive virtual reality intervention, and 3) active, goal-setting, control group
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone-based intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: FutureU |
| Virtual reality intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: FutureU |
| Goal-setting control condition | Active comparator | Behavioral: Goal-setting |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- First-year university student
- Dutch speaking
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Epileptic symptoms (due to VR condition)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| FutureUFutureU is based on the assumption that future orientation can be strengthened by increasing the extent to which people identify with their future self. People who identify more with their future self appear to be more inclined to make more altruistic choices favoring their future self and foregoing immediate gratification. The intervention provides psychoeducation and exposure to and interaction with the future self. Participants interact with a digitally aged version of themselves, i.e., their 'future self', using a smartphone application (app) or through immersive virtual reality (VR). The app consists of three week-long modules. Participants interact with the app on a daily basis for about 5 minutes a day for 21 consecutive days. The VR consists of three sessions, each lasting about 30 minutes. Each VR session is guided by a trained researcher. | Behavioural | Smartphone-based intervention, Virtual reality intervention |
| Goal-settingIn the control condition participants set goals (as in the intervention conditions), but receive no further guidance. | Behavioural | Goal-setting control condition |
Primary outcome
Future self-identification
Time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 1 and 2 weeks after baseline (i.e., during the intervention), 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Future self-identification, that is, the degree to which people have a clear image of their future self and can identify with their future self, will be assessed with 8 items based on Hershfield et al. (2009) and Van Gelder et al. (2015). These items measure the degree to which people can imagine their future self vividly (i.e., vividness), the level of positive feelings towards the future self (i.e., valence), and the extent to which people feel connected and similar to their future self (i.e., relatedness).
Future Orientation
Time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 1 and 2 weeks after baseline (i.e., during the intervention), 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Future orientation measuring time perspective, anticipation of future consequences, and planning ahead will be assessed with the Future orientation Scale (Steinberg et al., 2009) consisting of 15 items (α = .80).
Consideration of future consequences
Time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
The degree to which people take immediate versus distant consequences into account in potential behaviors will be assessed with the Consideration of Future Consequences questionnaire (Bruderer Enzler, 2013; Strathman et al., 1994) consisting of 9 items.
Self-defeating behavior
Time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 1 and 2 weeks after baseline (i.e., during the intervention), 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Self-defeating behavior, that is, behaviors with immediate gains though long-term costs, will be measured with 15 items representing different self-defeating behaviors based on the measure of Van Gelder et al. (2015).
Goal commitment
Time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Commitment to the goal participants set for the year will be measured using the Goal Commitment Questionnaire (Hollenbeck et al., 1989) which consists of 7 items (α = .71).
Goal achievement
Time frame: Assessed during the 3-week intervention.
Weekly and monthly goal achievement will be assessed with 3 self-developed items measuring how often participants thought about their goal, worked towards their goal, and to what extend they achieved their goal.
3 secondary outcomes
Self-efficacy
Time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Academic results
Time frame: Up to 10 months after baseline
Impulsiveness
Time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 May 2024.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 36539846Mertens ECA, Siezenga AM, Tettero T, van Gelder JL. A future orientation intervention delivered through a smartphone application and virtual reality: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychol. 2022 Dec 20;10(1):315. doi: 10.1186/s40359-022-01025-x.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
Related trials for Future Orientation
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jean-Louis van Gelder, Prof.dr.dr. principal investigator
Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security, and Law; Leiden University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing FutureU and Goal-setting in people with Future Orientation and Self-defeating Behavior, run by Universiteit Leiden at 1 site in Netherlands.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 May 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Netherlands. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Future self-identification (time frame: Change from baseline to 6-months follow-up (assessed at baseline, 1 and 2 weeks after baseline (i.e., during the intervention), 3 weeks after baseline (i.e., post measurement), and 3- and 6-months follow-up)). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05578755, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 May 2024.