Savor the new? Does briefly focusing on and appreciating positive pictures increase the brain's response to them more than simply looking at them?

ISRCTN	ISRCTN85165066
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN85165066
Sponsor	University of Padua
Funder	NextGenerationEU

Submission date: 23/06/2026
Registration date: 24/06/2026
Last edited: 23/06/2026

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Other

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Mrs Valentina Mologni
Scientific, Public

Via Venezia 8
Padova
35131
Italy

ORCID ID	0009-0004-7275-0131
Phone	+39 3927802403
Email	valentina.mologni@studenti.unipd.it

Prof Simone Messerotti Benvenuti
Principal investigator

Via Venezia 8
Padova
35131
Italy

ORCID ID	0000-0002-1430-6807
Phone	+39 049 827 6617
Email	simone.messerotti@unipd.it

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Allocation	Non-randomized controlled trial
Masking	Open (masking not used)
Control	Active
Assignment	Parallel
Purpose	Prevention
Scientific title	Savor the new? A single session of savoring does not enhance late positive potential (LPP) to pleasant images beyond passive viewing
Study objectives	The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a single savoring session on the neural processing of high-arousing pleasant stimuli (Valence M(SD)= 7.04 (1.08); Arousal M(SD)=6.34(2.07)) as indexed by the Late Positive Potential (LPP), in comparison with a passive viewing control condition. A secondary objective was to examine whether any effects of savoring generalized to novel stimuli not previously presented during the regulatory task. To account for interindividual differences in baseline emotional responsiveness, LPP was assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the experimental session, with baseline LPP included as a covariate in the analyses.
Ethics approval(s)	Approved 26/05/2025, COMITATO ETICO DELLA RICERCA PSICOLOGICA (AREA 17) (Via Venezia 8, Padova, 35131, Italy; +39-0498276600; comitato.etico.area17@unipd.it), ref: 456-c
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Appetitive processing
Intervention	Experimental group: savoring Participants assigned to the savoring condition completed a savoring task, during which they viewed a series of pleasant and neutral images while undergoing EEG recording. Each trial was preceded by a written instruction ("SAVOR" or "VIEW"). When the "SAVOR" instruction appeared, participants were asked to actively enhance and prolong the positive emotions elicited by the upcoming image. When the "VIEW" instruction appeared, participants were asked to observe the image as they would normally do. Prior to the task, participants received standardized savoring instructions and completed three practice trials. The task comprised 60 trials divided into two blocks of 30, with each image presented for 8000 ms. The session lasted approximately 18 minutes. Control group: passive viewing Participants assigned to the control condition completed a passive viewing task, in which they simply viewed the same emotional images as the savoring group, without receiving any savoring instructions. The number and structure of trials were identical to the savoring condition, except that no regulatory instruction preceded the images. The session lasted approximately 16 minutes.
Intervention type	Behavioural
Primary outcome measure(s)	Late Positive Potential (LPP) measured using electroencephalography (EEG) at pre-session assessment (T0, Day 1), experimental session (Day 2), post-session assessment (T1, Day 2)
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Subjective Valence and Arousal Ratings measured using Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) at Pre-session assessment (T0, Day 1) and post-session assessment (T1, Day 2).
Completion date	10/12/2025

Eligibility

Participant type(s)
Age group	Adult
Lower age limit	18 Years
Upper age limit	35 Years
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	64
Total final enrolment	64
Key inclusion criteria	1. Medically healthy and free from psychotropic medication
Key exclusion criteria	1. Current diagnosis or history of cardiovascular and neurological diseases 2. Formal diagnosis of mental diseases
Date of first enrolment	30/05/2025
Date of final enrolment	30/11/2025

Locations

Countries of recruitment

Italy

Study participating centres

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No

Editorial Notes

23/06/2026: Trial's existence confirmed by COMITATO ETICO DELLA RICERCA PSICOLOGICA (AREA 17).