The psychological construal of health behaviors

IntroductionIn order to optimize the effectiveness of behavior change interventions, we need to understand how the construal level – how we mentally represent or construe events or behaviors – influences health-related choices.ObjectiveTo examine the impact of mental construal on health decisions. Based on the Construal Level Theory, we predicted that people would give more weight to “cognitive considerations” when making a choice after being primed with the high-level perspective, whereas they would give higher weights to “sensory considerations” after being primed with the low-level perspective.MethodIn the first experiment, ninety-nine participants were primed with either high-level or low-level perspective across decision scenarios about vaccination and physical safety. The second experiment investigated nutrition decisions, which asked seventy participants to taste food that either had no label or was labelled “organic”. Organic label should prime high-level construal as it implies outcomes (e.g., product quality and healthiness) that are more distant in time and uncertain, in contrast with sensory dimensions (e.g. taste and appearance), which are immediately present. Participants rated cognitive and sensory considerations as well as action intentions.ResultsThe first study revealed that after the priming with the high-level construal, cognitive considerations became more important than sensory considerations in predicting protective action intentions, whereas after priming with the low-level construal, sensory considerations became more important. The second study revealed that only sensory considerations predicted decisions to consume the non-labelled product and only the cognitive score predicted decisions to consume the organic-labelled product.ConclusionWe demonstrated a moderating effect of construal-level mindset in health-protective decisions. We also discuss the implications for health promotion and policy, such as optimizing the effectiveness of behavior change interventions.     

Exercise attitudes and behaviours among retired female collegiate athletes

ObjectivesThe present study explored exercise attitudes and behaviours among retired female collegiate athletes.DesignA survey design incorporating both closed and open-ended questions was adopted.MethodA total of 218 former NCAA Division I female athletes (n = 144 gymnastics; n = 74 swimming/diving) provided details on their current exercise behaviours and their thoughts regarding exercise since retiring from collegiate sport.ResultsNo relations were found between years since retirement and athletes’ current exercise frequency, types of exercise activities, and reasons for exercising. Despite reporting activity levels consistent with recommendations (5 days/week, 1 h per session), retired athletes remained dissatisfied with their activity levels and struggled to integrate exercise alongside occupational, academic and social demands.ConclusionsAthletes may require support in adapting to an independent and less intense exercise regime on retirement. Future research may look to explore exercise attitudes and behaviours among retired athletes from a longitudinal perspective.     

Prior self-control exertion and perceptions of pain during a physically demanding task

ObjectivesExertion of self-control has been associated with impaired performance on subsequent physical tasks also requiring self-control, but it remains unknown why this occurs. This study, therefore, explored whether a) prior self-control exertion reduces subsequent persistence on a physically demanding task, and b) whether any observed performance decrements could be explained by changes in perceptions of pain.MethodIn a within-subject design, sixty-three individuals completed an easy (congruent) Stroop task or a difficult (incongruent) Stroop task that required self-control. Participants were then required to remain in a physically demanding posture (i.e., a ‘wall-sit’) until voluntary exhaustion and their perception of pain was recorded during the task.ResultsWhen participants completed the difficult Stroop task, they quit the wall-sit sooner. This decrement in performance was explained by greater perceptions of pain at the beginning of the wall-sit.ConclusionsPerceptions of pain may, therefore, be an important attentional mechanism explaining why self-control use interferes with subsequent persistence during physically effortful tasks.     

A longitudinal investigation of a multidimensional model of social support and physical activity over the first year of university

ObjectivesUniversity students report numerous barriers to physical activity participation including a lack of social support. Yet little is known about the types and providers of social support that are associated with physical activity across the first year of university.DesignProspective longitudinal survey.MethodUndergraduate students (N = 819; 64% female) completed a self-report survey at the beginning of their first year in university, near the end of first year, and at the beginning of second year. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling to examine the associations between social support and physical activity over time.ResultsBased on unconditional growth models, physical activity increased (β = 14.82), whereas received family support (β = −0.10), and number of people providing tangible support (β = −0.04) decreased over the first year of university. Students reported engaging in higher amounts of physical activity during times when they had more, compared to less than their average, social network from family (β = 23.20) and received social support from friends (β = 34.87). These results were similar at the between-person level. Living status emerged as a moderator of the association between tangible support satisfaction and physical activity, revealing a positive association (β = 29.72) for individuals living on/around campus.ConclusionsThe relationship between social support and physical activity varies at both within-person and between-person levels. Family providers of support appear to continue to influence the physical activity levels of university students. As such, university physical activity programs could endorse multiple dimensions and providers of social support.     

Self-regulatory efficacy and activity: Examining gradations of challenge

Objectives

This study examined different scheduling demands as a moderator of the self-regulatory efficacy (SRE)/physical activity relationship.

Design

A prospective design was used.

Method

Adolescents (N = 275) reported SRE and activity during times that reflected high and low scheduling demands.

Results

When scheduling demands were high, SRE predicted individual activity behavior (p < .001). During a period that reflected lower scheduling demands, however, SRE did not predict physical activity behavior (p = .25).

Conclusions

These findings support the idea that the level of challenge (demands) may be an important factor to consider when examining the SRE/activity behavior relationship.     

Physical Attractiveness and Candidate Evaluation: A Model of Correction

Voters typically evaluate an attractive candidate more favorably than an (otherwise equivalent) unattractive candidate. However, some voters “correct” for the biasing influence of physical appearance. This reduces, eliminates, or even reverses the physical attractiveness effect. Correction occurs when political experts evaluate a political candidate under nondistracting conditions. Under these “high cognitive capacity” conditions, voters primarily correct for physical unattractiveness. However, correction fails to occur when voters possess low levels of expertise or are distracted. Thus, in most circumstances, attractive candidates are evaluated more favorably than unattractive candidates. Two experiments provide support for this model of appearance‐based candidate evaluation.     

Is anxiety about health associated with desire to exercise, physical activity, and exercise dependence?

There are significant gaps in the literature regarding the behavioural consequences of health anxiety. Although past research indicates that health anxiety is associated with distinctive maladaptive behaviours, such as reassurance seeking, the relationship between health anxiety and wellness-related behaviours, such as physical activity, has not been adequately examined. Given that health anxiety is associated with excessive attempts to ensure health and avoid illness, health anxiety could be potentially related to extreme physical activity, known as exercise dependence. Using the cognitive behavioural model of health anxiety as a framework, this exploratory study investigated the relationships between health anxiety, exercise desire, physical activity, and exercise dependence.Undergraduate university students (n = 144) completed a battery of online measures. Results indicated that only the perceptual component of health anxiety, namely hypervigilance to somatic symptoms, was related to exercise desire and components of exercise dependence. Implications of the findings are discussed and future research avenues are explored.     

Existential Underpinnings of Approach and Avoidance of the Physical Body

In addition to enjoying pleasurable bodily activities, people appear threatened by the physical aspects of the body; they experience anxiety and inhibitions surrounding sex, eating, bodily appearance and functions. Based on terror management theory, we posit that people are dually motivated to approach the life-affirming properties of the physical body, and to avoid the physical or animalistic aspects of the body because of their association with death. This paper summarizes a substantial body of research, consisting of over twenty empirical studies, that identify personality and situational variables that interact with mortality concerns, moderating approach and avoidance attitudes and behaviors with respect to the physical body. We suggest that this dynamic motivation can go far in explaining the often observed ambivalence toward the body.     

Injustice in physical education: gender and the perception of deprivation in grades and teacher support

School as an institution is not powerful enough to fight external mechanisms leading to gender inequalities. Sport, as Physical Education (PE), remains a male domain and appears as a site for the reproduction of hegemonic masculinity. In PE, girls obtain lower grades than boys; teachers support boys more. This paper focuses upon the French pupils’ perceptions of injustice with respect to teacher support and grades relative to gender and social gender role orientation. Data were collected through questionnaires from 1620 pupils in secondary school. Although boys, Androgynous and Masculine pupils, obtained significantly higher grades in PE, they felt more deprivation. Concerning teacher support, girls’ perceptions of injustice were similar to boys’ perceptions, and Undifferentiated pupils perceived the highest deprivation level. Pupil’s perceptions may not be free of gender stereotypes. Vanessa Lentillon is in the third year of PhD in the Centre de Recherche et d’Innovation sur le Sport (C.R.I.S.). She is employed as a temporary personal for teaching and research (A.T.E.R.) at the University of Sport in Lyon, France. Her research concerns injustices perceived in Physical Education related to gender issues. She has written various book chapters and articles on her research. E-mail: vanessa.lentillon@univ-lyonl.fr Geneviè Cogérino is Professor at the University and works in the Centre d’Innovation et de Recherche sur le Sport (C.R.I.S.), France. Her research mainly concerns the gender issue in physical education. She has authored a recent book and several articles on this subject. E-mail: cogerino. genevieve@upicardie.fr Mattias Kaestner works at the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is a 2004 graduate of the Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Administration and Technology (MSA). E-mail: matthias.kaestner@aists.org     

The role of community context and psychological well-being for physical health: A dyadic study of military couples

Drawing from the social organizational theory of community action and change (SOAC) within a systemic biopsychosocial perspective, associations between community context (military community connections and satisfaction with military life), psychological well-being (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-efficacy), and physical health were examined for a sample of active duty service members and their civilian spouses (N = 236 couples) using an actor partner interdependence framework. Service members with higher levels of military community connections reported better psychological well-being. When civilian spouses were more satisfied with military life, both partners reported better psychological well-being. In turn, both spouses’ psychological well-being was related to their own reports of physical health. Statistically significant indirect effects were found between community contexts and spouses’ physical health. Enhancing community connections may be an important leverage point for supporting health and family readiness.