Protocol - Distress Tolerance

Description:

The Computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT-C) is an automated version of the original Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (Quinn et al., 1996), which requires the construction of a mirror box and multiple copies of polygons to be traced. The MTPT-C simplifies the administration and scoring of this task.

In this task, participants are required to trace a red dot along the lines of a geometric shape (e.g., star) using the computer’s mouse. However, the mouse moves the red dot in the reverse direction. Each time the participant moves the mouse out of the lines or hesitates for more than 2 seconds, a buzzer sounds, and the dot moves back to the beginning. Three progressively more difficult shapes are used. The first two rounds last 1 minute each, while the third round of the MTPT-C can last up to 7 minutes. Participants may terminate the task at any point during the third round by pressing on the space bar. Distress tolerance is measured by the latency in seconds to task termination. Additionally, the number of errors per second (i.e., number of times the participant has to return to the starting position during the task, divided by the task time) is recorded to control for effects of skill on persistence.

Specific Instructions:

User can download the program for this task at:

caperlab.net/task-downloads

Protocol:

See above; online download of the program:

caperlab.net/task-downloads

Protocol Name from Source:

Availability:

Publicly available

Download PDF

Personnel and Training Required

None

Equipment Needs

Computer with a mouse. Instrument is available online.

Requirements

Requirement Category	Required
Major equipment	No
Specialized training	No
Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection	No
Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual	No

Mode of Administration

Interviewer-administered questionnaire

Life Stage:

Adult

Participants:

Adults

Selection Rationale

Measure of distress tolerance, a personality trait that appears to be related to smoking and tobacco use and behaviors.

Language

English

Standards

Standard	Name	ID	Source
Common Data Elements (CDE)	Psychology Distress Tolerance Assessment Score	4719167	CDE Browser

Derived Variables

None

Process and Review

Not applicable.

Source

Computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT-C)
Center for Addictions, Personality, and Emotion Research (CAPER) website

General References

Original Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT):

Quinn, E. P., Brandon, T. H., & Copeland, A. L. (1996). Is task persistence related to smoking and substance abuse? The application of learned industriousness theory to addictive behaviors. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 4, 186-190.

Validity of the MTPT:

Brandon, T. H., Herzog, T. A., Juliano, L., Irvin, J. E., Lazev, A., & Simmons, V. N. (2003). Pretreatment task-persistence predicts smoking cessation outcome. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112, 448-456.

Steinberg, M. L., Williams, J. M., Gandhi, K. K., Foulds, J., Epstein, E. E., & Brandon, T. H. (2012). Task persistence predicts smoking cessation in smokers with and without schizophrenia. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 26, 850-858.

Computerized Version:

Strong, D. R., Lejuez, C. W., Daughters, S., Marinello, M., Kahler, C. W., & Brown, R. A. (2003). The computerized mirror tracing task, version 1. Unpublished manual.

Program available for download: www.addiction.umd.edu/research.htm

Predictive validity, but not with smoking:

Daughters, S. B., Lejuez, C. W., Bornovaolova, M. A., Kahler, C. W., Strong, D. R., & Brown, R. A. (2005). Distress tolerance as a predictor of early treatment dropout in a residential substance abuse treatment facility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 114, 729-734.

Protocol ID:

710701

Variables:

Export Variables

Variable Name	Variable ID	Variable Description	dbGaP Mapping
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Average_Width
	PX710701220000	In easy mode, what is the average width in more cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Maximum_Percentage
	PX710701210000	In easy mode, what is the maximum percentage more (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Median_Distance
	PX710701200000	In easy mode, what is the median distance in more cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Offline_Error
	PX710701160000	In easy mode, what is the number of times more the subject traced outside the line? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Tooslow_Error
	PX710701170000	In easy mode, what is the number of times it more took the subject too long to trace the pattern? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Total_Distance
	PX710701190000	In easy mode, what is the total distance in more cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Total_Error
	PX710701150000	In easy mode, what is the total number of more errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Total_Time
	PX710701180000	In easy mode, what is the length in seconds more it took the subject to complete the task? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Average_Width
	PX710701380000	In hard mode, what is the average width in more cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Maximum_Percentage
	PX710701370000	In hard mode, what is the maximum percentage more (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Median_Distance
	PX710701360000	In hard mode, what is the median distance in more cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Offline_Error
	PX710701320000	In hard mode, what is the number of times more the subject traced outside the line? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Tooslow_Error
	PX710701330000	In hard mode, what is the number of times it more took the subject too long to trace the pattern? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Total_Distance
	PX710701350000	In hard mode, what is the total distance in more cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Total_Error
	PX710701310000	In hard mode, what is the total number of more errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Total_Time
	PX710701340000	In hard mode, what is the length in seconds more it took the subject to complete the task? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Average_Width
	PX710701300000	In medium mode, what is the average width in more cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Maximum_Percentage
	PX710701290000	In medium mode, what is the maximum more percentage (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Median_Distance
	PX710701280000	In medium mode, what is the median distance more in cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Offline_Error
	PX710701240000	In medium mode, what is the number of times more the subject traced outside the line? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Tooslow_Error
	PX710701250000	In medium mode, what is the number of times more it took the subject too long to trace the pattern? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Total_Distance
	PX710701270000	In medium mode, what is the total distance more in cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Total_Error
	PX710701230000	In medium mode, what is the total number of more errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Total_Time
	PX710701260000	In medium mode, what is the length in more seconds it took the subject to complete the task? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Embarrassed
	PX710701460000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel more embarrassed? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Energetic
	PX710701450000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel more energetic? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Excited
	PX710701390000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel more excited? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Frustrated
	PX710701420000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel more frustrated? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Happy
	PX710701430000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel happy?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Interested
	PX710701410000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel more interested? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Mad
	PX710701400000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel mad?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Nervous
	PX710701480000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel more nervous? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Proud
	PX710701470000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel proud?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Upset
	PX710701440000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel upset?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Embarrassed
	PX710701120000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more embarrassed? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Energetic
	PX710701110000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more energetic? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Excited
	PX710701050000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more excited? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Frustrated
	PX710701080000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more frustrated? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Happy
	PX710701090000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more happy? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Interested
	PX710701070000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more interested? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Mad
	PX710701060000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel mad?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Nervous
	PX710701140000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more nervous? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Proud
	PX710701130000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more proud? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Upset
	PX710701100000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel more upset? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Average_Width
	PX710701560000	In quit mode, what is the average width in more cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Maximum_Percentage
	PX710701550000	In quit mode, what is the maximum percentage more (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Median_Distance
	PX710701540000	In quit mode, what is the median distance in more cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Offline_Error
	PX710701500000	In quit mode, what is the number of times more the subject traced outside the line? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Tooslow_Error
	PX710701510000	In quit mode, what is the number of times it more took the subject too long to trace the pattern? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Total_Distance
	PX710701530000	In quit mode, what is the total distance in more cm of tracing? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Total_Error
	PX710701490000	In quit mode, what is the total number of more errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Total_Time
	PX710701520000	In quit mode, what is the length in seconds more it took the subject to complete the task? show less	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Session_Date
	PX710701020000	What date did the session take place?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Session_ID
	PX710701010000	What is the ID number of the session?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Session_Time
	PX710701030000	What time did the session take place?	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Subject_ID
	PX710701040000	What is the subject's ID number?	N/A

Tobacco Regulatory Research

Measure Name:

Distress Tolerance

Release Date:

February 20, 2015

Definition

The ability to persist in a goal-directed activity when experiencing psychological distress or ability to tolerate psychological distress in general. One measurement approach is time spent on a frustrating behavioral task (i.e., task persistence). Distress tolerance appears to be a relatively stable trait. Across measures, it has been found to be predictive of substance-use outcomes, including smoking cessation. Individuals who are low in distress tolerance may have greater difficulty in maintaining tobacco abstinence in the face of withdrawal and other challenges.

Purpose

The Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT) has discriminated between smokers and nonsmokers and has predicted smoking cessation outcomes. The original MTPT required the construction or purchase of a physical box with a slanted mirror one side. The participant inserts his or her hand and traces geometric figures while only watching the hand in the mirror. This is extremely difficult and frustrating. Persistence is scored as the mean time on several trials prior to giving up. The Computerized MTPT (MTPT-C) was developed to make the test more accessible, as it did not require the physical equipment. It has potential as a screening instrument to identify individuals at high risk of initiating smoking or of smoking cessation failure. To date, the MTPT-C has predicted treatment dropout among substance abusers, but it has not been tested with smokers per se.

Keywords

Mirror Tracing Persistence Task, MTPT-C, personality, distress, tolerance, distress tolerance