Testing a Shortened Version of the AlAn's Game

Testing a Shortened Version of the AlAn's Game, Which Can be Delivered Through REDCap, in a Sample of Emerging Adults

It has been demonstrated that behavior on the AlAn's (altruism-antisocial) game is related to Moral Elevation response. Moral Elevation is a positive response to another's act of generosity "of charity, gratitude, fidelity, generosity or any other strong display of virtue". The constellation of emotional, physical and psychological aspects of a Moral Elevation response have been well described. Moral Elevation can be elicited with stimulus stories or videos and measured with self-report questionnaires. The experience of Moral Elevation is associated with subsequent prosocial and affiliative behaviors. Additionally, the research has linked Moral Elevation response with behavior on the AlAn's game. This study will test whether behavior on the AlAn's Short Game v.2 is related to Moral Elevation response and extend prior work by testing whether viewing the Moral Elevation stimulus prior to playing the AlAn's Short Game v.2 is associated with differences in game behavior. The study will also test whether psychopathic traits will correlate with game behavior.

Hypotheses and Specific Aims: Aim 1: Examine the similarities and differences in behaviors on the AlAn's Short Game v.2 seen with the two Active Trial (AT) types (where Red Cross donation will be reduced and subject will gain money (AT1) vs. where the Red Cross donation will increase and study participants will lose money (AT2). Hypothesis 1: Number of accepted trials of AT1 and AT2 from session 1 will significantly correlate. Aim 2: Test the effects of Elevation vs. Nature video on change in AlAn's Short Game v.2 behavior between sessions 1 and 2. Hypothesis 2: Subjects who view the Elevation stimulus video (study Arm 1) will show increases in prosocial behavior while those watching the Nature video will not. Aim 3: Test the association between psychopathic traits and Costly Helping and determine whether the influence of Elevation on Costly Helping dissipates with increasing levels of psychopathic traits. Hypothesis 3: Psychopathic traits, as measured by the Levenson Self Report Psychopathy Scale, will significantly and negatively correlate with the amount of prosocial behavior in session 1. Hypothesis 4: Using subjects from study Arm 1, change in AlAn's Short game v.2 behavior (session 2 minus session 1) will be negatively correlated with psychopathic trait scores.

Study participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of two possible orders of administration. All subjects will first complete the Levenson Psychopathy Scale. Then Arm 1 presents the Moral Elevation stimulus after playing the first AlAn's Short Game v.2 (session 1), while Arm 2 presents the control stimulus (nature video). Subjects in both arms will then play AlAn's game again. After playing the game for a second time, subjects in both arms will fill out an Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACES), Social Connectedness survey, and Demographics form.

All subjects complete the Levenson Psychopathy Scale first. Arm 1 then presents the Moral Elevation stimulus video after playing the first AlAn's Short Game v.2 (session 1). Participants will then play the AlAn's Short Game v.2 (session 2) for a second time and then fill out an Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACES), Social Connectedness survey, and Demographics form.

All subjects complete the Levenson Psychopathy Scale first. Arm 2 then presents the control stimulus (nature video) after playing the first AlAn's Short Game v.2 (session 1). Participants will then play the AlAn's Short Game v.2 (session 2) for a second time and then fill out an Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACES), Social Connectedness survey, and Demographics form.

Subjects will watch a video that has been shown in previous studies to elicit an elevation response. This video shows a news story about a man saving the life of another man who falls onto the subway tracks.

The primary outcome of interest is the change in the amount of prosocial behavior on the AlAn's Short game between sessions 1 and 2 (Costly Helping session 2 minus Costly Helping session 1). Our two main analyses of interest using this outcome measure are: (1) to test whether viewing the Moral Elevation stimulus video vs. the Control video experience a greater change in Costly Helping (e.g., that Moral Elevation response promotes prosocial behavior); and (2) to test whether psychopathic traits attenuate the relationship between Moral Elevation and prosocial behavior (i.e., among those viewing the Moral Elevation stimulus video, that our primary outcome - change in prosocial behavior - will be negatively related to level of psychopathic traits).

We will not share individual participant data. We might print the results of this research study in relevant journals or share aggregate data on that does not identify subjects with qualified investigators or as a supplement as required by some journals. However, the names and any other identifying information of research subjects will always be kept confidential and will not be shared. The data that may be shared in this manner include gender, age, and race/ethnicity, as well as responses from the AlAn's Game v.2, Levenson Psychopathy Scale, adverse childhood experiences questionnaire and social connectedness survey.

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