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Can a video game teach empathy to kids who struggle with emotions?

NCT ID NCT04159168

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested a computer game called Facial Affect Sensitivity Training (FAST) for children ages 6-11 who have callous-unemotional (CU) traits, such as lack of empathy or guilt. The game uses feedback and rewards to help kids better recognize fear and sadness in faces. Researchers measured changes in emotion recognition, eye gaze, and CU traits in 161 children. The goal is to see if this approach can improve empathy and reduce behavior problems.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Facial Affect Sensitivity Training (FAST) - a computer game that gives feedback and rewards to help children recognize emotions in faces
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new way to help children with callous-unemotional traits improve empathy and reduce behavior problems.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study testing a computer game, so it may not lead to lasting changes. The results are based on small samples and may not apply to all children.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

161 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2021

Finished

May 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

6 to 11 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * A standard score less than or equal to 9 on the NEPSY (A Developmental NEuroPSYchological Assessment) Affect Recognition (AR) test, or less than or equal to 70% accuracy for distress-related emotions on a Dynamic FER measure. * Composite intelligence quotient (IQ) score of at least 72 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition. * Any psychotropic medications must be on stable dosing schedule for 2 weeks prior to entry. * Presence of elevated CU traits, defined as a total score of at least 2 on the 4 CU items of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD), Parent Version, with caregiver-endorsed distress or impairment required for scores of exactly 2. Exclusion Criteria: Bipolar disorder. Current risk for suicide or harm to others. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Currently participating in therapy for CU traits or facial emotion recognition deficits.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Affective Symptoms

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Affective symptoms Empathy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Center for Youth Development and Intervention (CYDI)

    Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States

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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.