Technology UseNCT07540819
Best Possible Self-Tech for Middle Schoolers
A study testing Best Possible Self-Tech in people with Technology Use and Positive Affect, run by University of Oregon at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn if a single-session writing exercise (i.e., Best Possible Self-Tech) can improve positive affect and prosocial technology use in a community sample of eighth graders. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Technology Use, Positive Affect
- What is being tested?
- Best Possible Self-Tech
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 27 Apr 2026to 20 Sep 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- eighth grade student enrolled in a participating middle school
- speaks and writes in English
- regular access to a web-enabled computer, tablet, or smartphone
Who cannot join
- current participation in psychotherapy for anxiety or depression
- a diagnosed cognitive or developmental impairment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Promoting Positive Affect and Prosocial Technology Use in Middle Schoolers: A Pilot of the Best Possible Self-Tech Exercise
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn if a single-session writing exercise (i.e., Best Possible Self-Tech) can improve positive affect and prosocial technology use in a community sample of eighth graders. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Can the the Best Possible Self-Tech (BPS-Tech) intervention be feasibly and acceptably delivered in classrooms?
- What are the associations between textual features of BPS- Tech entries (e.g., length, vividness, positive tone) and post-intervention positive affect?
- How do participants describe their future prosocial online behavior ("doing good"), engagement with prosocial content ("seeing good") and associated positive emotions ("feeling good") in the BPS-Tech writing exercise?
Participants will participate in the BPS-Tech exercise during class time and respond to surveys about their prosocial technology use and positive affect.
Read the detailed description
Technology use is a central part of adolescent life. A 2024 Pew Research Center Survey showed that 95% of adolescents had access to a smartphone, 88% a desktop or laptop computer, and 83% a gaming console at home. Problematic use of these technology devices impact about 1 in 5 adolescents and can increases the odds of depression, anxiety and stress. However, most adolescents do not exhibit problematic use. To date, the research on technology and mental health has focused primarily on its adverse effects, despite initial evidence that technology can elicit positive affect, learning and social connection.
Adolescents most often use technology to socialize and extend their in-person relationships and are more likely to engage in online pro-social behaviors (e.g., complimenting), than antisocial behavior (e.g., criticism). Moreover, moderate use of technology that is active and social is linked to positive emotions like pleasure or satisfaction. Despite these data, few evidence-based approaches help adolescents mindfully engage with technology in ways that promote well-being and social connection.
The Best Possible Self (BPS) intervention, in which participants envision and write about their best future selves, has been shown to increase positive affect in adults and adolescents. This pilot study will adapt the BPS intervention to focus on positive future technology use (BPS-Tech) and test whether it can be feasibly and acceptably delivered in a middle school classroom. The pilot will also examine the textual features of BPS-Tech written entries (e.g., length, vividness, positive tone) and examine associations with post-intervention positive affect. Finally, the written entries will be analyzed with qualitative methods to describe how adolescents envision prosocial technology use. This study will generate feasibility data for a brief, scalable positive affect intervention and provide new insights into how youth envision using technology for good. Findings will inform refinement of the intervention and lay the groundwork for larger trials designed to prevent problematic technology use and strengthen positive affect during developmentally sensitive periods like adolescence.
- Conditions
- Technology Use, Positive Affect
- Being tested
- Best Possible Self-Tech
- Keywords
- Best Possible Self, Prosocial Technology Use, Middle School, Positive Affect
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Best Possible Self-TechBehavioural
The BPS is a structured writing exercise (i.e., 10 minutes) designed to help individuals imagine the details about their future selves assuming things have gone as well as they possibly could. In the technology-related adaptation, participants are directed to imagine how their best possible self would utilize technology. The goal of the intervention is to increase positive thinking and mindful engagement with technology by helping adolescents envision and articulate optimistic future possibilities for their digital lives.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| BPS-Tech | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Best Possible Self-Tech |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Child Short Form
The PANAS-C-SF is a 10-item scale that measures expressed levels of positive and negative affect. Positive affect and negative affect subscale scores range from 5-25, where higher scores indicate higher levels of positive/negative affect.
Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 1-week follow up, 1 month follow-up
The Program Feedback Scale
The Program Feedback Scale is a 7-item scale that measures the acceptability of an intervention. The scale was developed specifically for youth participating in single-session interventions. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (range 0-4). Total scores range from 0-28, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability.
Measured: Immediately post-intervention
Secondary outcomes (2)
Prosocial Technology Use
The Tech With Care Index is a 17-item scale that measures the quality of use of digital devices including phones, tablets, laptops, and game consoles among youth. Two subscale scores are calculated by calculating the average (range 1-5) for self-defeating technology use items (i.e., unhealthy or mindless use) and other-benefitting use items (i.e., empathic or civic use). Higher mean scores indicate technology use that is more intentional, mindful and caring.
Measured: Baseline, 1-week follow up, 1-month follow up
Digital Flourishing
The Digital Flourishing Scale is a 25-item scale that measures the strength-based domains of digital technology use including the use of technology for connection, positive social comparison, and meaning making. Total scores range from 25-125, with higher scores indicating more digital flourishing.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month follow up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Apr 2026
- Study start27 Apr 2026
- Primary completion1 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion20 Sep 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Technology UseStudies 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
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Oregon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07540819
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00002054
- Other IDs
- 1P50MH139449-01
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 20 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All survey and interview data will be de-identified and will be archived in a sharable data repository. Data will uploaded quarterly into the NIMH Data Archive using the NDA Electronic Data Submission Agreement (eDSA) Tool.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Promoting Positive Affect and Prosocial Technology Use in Middle Schoolers: A Pilot of the Best Possible Self-Tech Exercise
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07540819
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STUDY00002054
- Conditions
- Technology Use, Positive Affect
- Keywords
- Best Possible Self, Prosocial Technology Use, Middle School, Positive Affect
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of OregonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- 27 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 20 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 20 Apr 2026 (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.
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn if a single-session writing exercise (i.e., Best Possible Self-Tech) can improve positive affect and prosocial technology use in a community sample of eighth graders. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Can the the Best Possible Self-Tech (BPS-Tech) intervention be feasibly and acceptably delivered in classrooms?
- What are the associations between textual features of BPS- Tech entries (e.g., length, vividness, positive tone) and post-intervention positive affect?
- How do participants describe their future prosocial online behavior ("doing good"), engagement with prosocial content ("seeing good") and associated positive emotions ("feeling good") in the BPS-Tech writing exercise?
Participants will participate in the BPS-Tech exercise during class time and respond to surveys about their prosocial technology use and positive affect.
Detailed description
Technology use is a central part of adolescent life. A 2024 Pew Research Center Survey showed that 95% of adolescents had access to a smartphone, 88% a desktop or laptop computer, and 83% a gaming console at home. Problematic use of these technology devices impact about 1 in 5 adolescents and can increases the odds of depression, anxiety and stress. However, most adolescents do not exhibit problematic use. To date, the research on technology and mental health has focused primarily on its adverse effects, despite initial evidence that technology can elicit positive affect, learning and social connection.
Adolescents most often use technology to socialize and extend their in-person relationships and are more likely to engage in online pro-social behaviors (e.g., complimenting), than antisocial behavior (e.g., criticism). Moreover, moderate use of technology that is active and social is linked to positive emotions like pleasure or satisfaction. Despite these data, few evidence-based approaches help adolescents mindfully engage with technology in ways that promote well-being and social connection.
The Best Possible Self (BPS) intervention, in which participants envision and write about their best future selves, has been shown to increase positive affect in adults and adolescents. This pilot study will adapt the BPS intervention to focus on positive future technology use (BPS-Tech) and test whether it can be feasibly and acceptably delivered in a middle school classroom. The pilot will also examine the textual features of BPS-Tech written entries (e.g., length, vividness, positive tone) and examine associations with post-intervention positive affect. Finally, the written entries will be analyzed with qualitative methods to describe how adolescents envision prosocial technology use. This study will generate feasibility data for a brief, scalable positive affect intervention and provide new insights into how youth envision using technology for good. Findings will inform refinement of the intervention and lay the groundwork for larger trials designed to prevent problematic technology use and strengthen positive affect during developmentally sensitive periods like adolescence.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| BPS-Tech | Experimental | Behavioral: Best Possible Self-Tech |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- eighth grade student enrolled in a participating middle school
- speaks and writes in English
- regular access to a web-enabled computer, tablet, or smartphone
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- current participation in psychotherapy for anxiety or depression
- a diagnosed cognitive or developmental impairment
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Best Possible Self-TechThe BPS is a structured writing exercise (i.e., 10 minutes) designed to help individuals imagine the details about their future selves assuming things have gone as well as they possibly could. In the technology-related adaptation, participants are directed to imagine how their best possible self would utilize technology. The goal of the intervention is to increase positive thinking and mindful engagement with technology by helping adolescents envision and articulate optimistic future possibilities for their digital lives. | Behavioural | BPS-Tech |
Primary outcome
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Child Short Form
Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 1-week follow up, 1 month follow-up
The PANAS-C-SF is a 10-item scale that measures expressed levels of positive and negative affect. Positive affect and negative affect subscale scores range from 5-25, where higher scores indicate higher levels of positive/negative affect.
The Program Feedback Scale
Time frame: Immediately post-intervention
The Program Feedback Scale is a 7-item scale that measures the acceptability of an intervention. The scale was developed specifically for youth participating in single-session interventions. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (range 0-4). Total scores range from 0-28, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability.
2 secondary outcomes
Prosocial Technology Use
Time frame: Baseline, 1-week follow up, 1-month follow up
Digital Flourishing
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month follow up
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All survey and interview data will be de-identified and will be archived in a sharable data repository. Data will uploaded quarterly into the NIMH Data Archive using the NDA Electronic Data Submission Agreement (eDSA) Tool.
Related trials for Technology Use
Active, not recruiting
Technology-supported Motor Rehabilitation for People With Rett Syndrome
Rett Syndrome
Recruiting
Bio Leg: Advancing Mobility (BAM)
Amputation of Lower Limb Above Knee, Amputee
Active, not recruiting
Investigating Baby Behavior and Family Technology Use Study
Mobile Phone Use, Mother-Infant Interaction
Not yet recruiting
mHealth Service Linkage for Young Adults Impacted by the Criminal Legal System
HIV Prevention, Substance Use
Not yet recruiting
Technology Use, Safe Health Information, and Artificial Intelligence Among Older Adults
Older Adults, Nursing Homes
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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Best Possible Self-Tech in people with Technology Use and Positive Affect, run by University of Oregon at 1 site in United States.
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 3 inclusion and 2 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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 May 2026. 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 United States. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Child Short Form (time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 1-week follow up, 1 month follow-up). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 20 May 2026.