Self-affirmation and physical activity messages

Strachan, Shaelyn M.; Myre, Maxine; Berry, Tanya R.; Ceccarelli, Laura; Semenchuk, Brittany; Miller, Cindy

doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101613

Cited by 9 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…According to the theory of self-affirmation (Steele, 1988 ; Sherman and Cohen, 2006 ), this defensive reaction against threatening messages is based on the attempt to maintain the perception of being able to control the relevant results. When this defensive mechanism is activated, people can attempt to protect it by rejecting such threatening information (e.g., Strachan et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connecting Social Psychology and Deep Reinforcement Learning: A Probabilistic Predictor on the Intention to Do Home-Based Physical Activity After Message Exposure

2021

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Previous research has shown that sending personalized messages consistent with the recipient's psychological profile is essential to activate the change toward a healthy lifestyle. In this paper we present an example of how artificial intelligence can support psychology in this process, illustrating the development of a probabilistic predictor in the form of a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN). The predictor regards the change in the intention to do home-based physical activity after message exposure. The data used to construct the predictor are those of a study on the effects of framing in communication to promote physical activity at home during the Covid-19 lockdown. The theoretical reference is that of psychosocial research on the effects of framing, according to which similar communicative contents formulated in different ways can be differently effective depending on the characteristics of the recipient. Study participants completed a first questionnaire aimed at measuring the psychosocial dimensions involved in doing physical activity at home. Next, they read recommendation messages formulated with one of four different frames (gain, non-loss, non-gain, and loss). Finally, they completed a second questionnaire measuring their perception of the messages and again the intention to exercise at home. The collected data were analyzed to elicit a DBN, i.e., a probabilistic structure representing the interrelationships between all the dimensions considered in the study. The adopted procedure was aimed to achieve a good balance between explainability and predictivity. The elicited DBN was found to be consistent with the psychosocial theories assumed as reference and able to predict the effectiveness of the different messages starting from the relevant psychosocial dimensions of the recipients. In the next steps of our project, the DBN will form the basis for the training of a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) system for the synthesis of automatic interaction strategies. In turn, the DRL system will train a Deep Neural Network (DNN) that will guide the online interaction process. The discussion focuses on the advantages of the proposed procedure in terms of interpretability and effectiveness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connecting Social Psychology and Deep Reinforcement Learning: A Probabilistic Predictor on the Intention to Do Home-Based Physical Activity After Message Exposure

2021

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“…To the best of our knowledge, so far research on the promotion of physical activity has ignored the distinction among gain, non-loss, non-gain, and loss message framing. For example, Strachan et al ( 2020 ) compared the effects of gain- and loss-framed messages to promote physical activity, including non-loss outcomes in the gain-framed messages (e.g., reduced risk of diseases, less anxiety) and non-gain outcomes in the loss-framed messages (e.g., decreased attractiveness through reduced muscle tone). To move further in the comprehension of the factors that may underly the different effectiveness of the four types of messages, in the present study we submitted these messages to different groups of participants and explored the reactions receivers have when they are exposed to these messages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, exposure to physical activity messages may threaten the self-integrity of individuals (McQueen and Klein, 2006 ; Jessop et al, 2014 ). In this threatened state, the ability to process a message recommending increased physical activity may be compromised because people, in order to maintain self-integrity, may question or reject the validity of the recommendation, or direct attention away from it (Sherman, 2013 ; Strachan et al, 2020 ). However, so far, no research has analyzed how perceived threat after exposure to differently framed messages recommending physical activity may negatively influence receivers' attitudes and intentions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Persuasive Messages in Promoting Home-Based Physical Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic

Carfora

Catellani

2021

Front. Psychol.

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We tested the plausibility of a persuasion model to understand the effects of messages framed in terms of gain, non-loss, loss, and non-gain, and related to the physical, mental and social consequences of doing physical activity at home during the lockdown restrictions. 272 Italian participants responded to a questionnaire on their attitude and intention at Time 1, frequency of past behavior, and self-efficacy related to exercising at home. Then, participants were randomly assigned to four different message conditions: (a) gain messages focused on the positive outcomes associated with doing physical activity at home; (b) non-loss messages focused on the avoided negative outcomes associated with doing physical activity at home; (d) loss messages focused on the negative outcomes associated with not doing physical activity at home; (c) non-gain messages focused on the missed positive outcomes associated with not doing physical activity at home. After reading the messages, participants answered a series of questions regarding their perception of threat and fear, their evaluation of the messages, and their attitude and intention toward exercising at home at Time 2. Using multigroup structural equation modeling, we compared message conditions, and tested whether the effects of the messages on attitude and intention at Time 2 were mediated by message-induced threat, message-induced fear, and message evaluation. Results showed that the perception of the messages as not threatening was the key point to activate a positive evaluation of the recommendation. The highest persuasive effect was observed in the case of the non-loss frame, which did not threaten the receivers, triggered a moderated fear and, in turn, activated a positive evaluation of the recommendation, as well as higher attitude and intention to do home-based physical activity at Time 2. Overall, these results advance our comprehension of the effects of message framing on receivers' attitudes and intentions toward home-based physical activity.

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“…In studies in which self-affirmation had a direct positive effect on efficacy perceptions (e.g. Good et al, 2015;Epton and Harris, 2008;Strachan et al, 2020), the health risk messages participants were exposed to included content specifically targeting efficacy perceptions (e.g. a list of strategies to be physically active in Strachan et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Harris et al (2007) found that self-affirmed college student smokers had greater self-efficacy of quitting smoking and perceived behavioral control after being exposed to graphic warning labels, and the effects of self-affirmation were more pronounced among participants who smoked more. Another two studies also showed that self-affirmed (vs non-affirmed) participants had higher self-efficacy for exercising (Good et al, 2015;Strachan et al, 2020).…”

Section: Mediators Of Self-affirmation Effectsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Effects of self-affirmation on responses toward graphic cigarette warning labels: testing the mediating role of perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy

Nan

Ileş

et al. 2020

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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of self-affirmation on African American smokers' intentions to quit smoking sooner and desire to stop smoking altogether in response to viewing graphic cigarette warning labels. It also tested the mediating role of perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy in explaining the impact of self-affirmation.Design/methodology/approachAfrican American smokers (N = 158) were recruited to participate in a controlled experiment. Participants first completed a short questionnaire about their demographic background and smoking-related attitudes and behavior. They were then randomly assigned to engage in either a self-affirmation task or a control task and viewed two graphic cigarette warning labels subsequently. Participants then responded to a questionnaire about their perceived susceptibility to smoking-related diseases, perceived self-efficacy to quit smoking, intentions to quit smoking and desire to stop smoking altogether.FindingsResults showed that engaging in self-affirmation prior to exposure to graphic cigarette warning labels increased African American smokers' perceived susceptibility to smoking-related diseases, but decreased their perceived self-efficacy to quit smoking. Furthermore, self-affirmation indirectly enhanced smokers' intentions to quit smoking sooner and desire to stop smoking altogether through increased perceived susceptibility. It also had an unexpected negative indirect effect on intentions to quit smoking sooner through decreased self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few studies that investigates the effect of self-affirmation on African American smokers' responses toward graphic cigarette warning labels.

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Self-affirmation and physical activity messages

Cited by 9 publications

References 29 publications

Connecting Social Psychology and Deep Reinforcement Learning: A Probabilistic Predictor on the Intention to Do Home-Based Physical Activity After Message Exposure

Connecting Social Psychology and Deep Reinforcement Learning: A Probabilistic Predictor on the Intention to Do Home-Based Physical Activity After Message Exposure

The Effect of Persuasive Messages in Promoting Home-Based Physical Activity During COVID-19 Pandemic

Effects of self-affirmation on responses toward graphic cigarette warning labels: testing the mediating role of perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy

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