The role of implicit motivation in hot and cold goal pursuit: Effects on goal progress, goal rumination, and emotional well-being

Two cross-sectional studies examined the role of implicit motivational needs in the association between personal goal pursuits and depressive symptoms and affect. Replicating and extending on findings reported by Brunstein et al. [Brunstein, J. C., Schultheiss, O. C., & Grässmann, R. (1998). Personal goals and emotional well-being: The moderating role of motive dispositions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(2), 494–508], both studies provided evidence that goal progress significantly accounted for variations in depressive symptoms and happiness only in individuals with high levels of implicit motivation, but not in individuals low in implicit motivation. Moreover, in the absence of a strong sense of goal commitment, high levels of implicit motivation were associated with high goal progress in both studies and low levels of goal rumination in Study 2. These findings are interpreted within a dual-systems framework of motivation that distinguishes an implicit, intuitive, and hedonically driven from an explicit, effortful-analytical, and non-hedonic mode of goal pursuit.     

I Said,You Said: A Communication Exercise for Couples

The “I Said, You Said” technique leads the couple through a series of communication exercises that emphasizes the power of verbal and non-verbal cues. Initially, non-verbal cues that a couple uses to interpret each other’s spoken words are decreased to reduce the outside influences of attributed meaning. This allows the couple to focus on the clarity of the spoken message. Additional steps in this technique include restructuring speaker and listener roles, education about communication patterns, and learning how to communicate with more clarity and effectiveness, even when topics are emotionally laden. A brief vignette using the intervention follows this discussion.     

Health Behaviors of Childhood Cancer Survivors: What We’ve Learned

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of childhood cancer survivors due to improved cancer treatments. However, these survivors are at risk for numerous late-effects as a result of their cancer therapy. Engaging in health-protective behaviors and limiting risky health behaviors are vitally important for survivors given their increased risks and physical late-effects. For this paper, we systematically reviewed the literature on childhood cancer survivors’ health behaviors by searching for published data and conference proceedings using computerized databases and references, and summarized these results. We examined the literature describing the prevalence of a variety of health behaviors among survivors, identifying significant covariates, and describing health behavior interventions. Finally, we provided research recommendations and discussed an ongoing study designed to address some of the limitations in the existing literature. The research to date is limited and recommendations for future studies are outlined.     

Exercisers' perceptions of their fitness instructor's interacting style, perceived competence, and autonomy as a function of self-determined regulation to exercise, enjoyment, affect, and exercise frequency

Puente, R. & Anshel, M. H. (2010). Exercisers' perceptions of their fitness instructor's interacting style, perceived competence, and autonomy as a function of self-determined regulation to exercise, enjoyment, affect, and exercise frequency. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 38–45.
The primary purpose of the present investigation was to test the hypothesis, derived from Self-Determination Theory (SDT), that an individual's perceived competence and autonomy mediate the relationship between the exercisers' perception of their instructor's interaction style and the exercisers' motivation to exercise. A secondary purpose was to identify the affective and behavioral outcomes derived from self-determined regulation. It was hypothesized that SDT would significantly explain and predict exercise behavior. Participants consisted of 238 college students, 103 males and 135 females ( M age = 20.4 years, SD = 2.16), who volunteered to participate in the study. They were asked to complete a battery of questionnaires measuring instructor's interacting style, self-regulation to exercise, perceived autonomy and competence, enjoyment, positive and negative affect, and exercise frequency. Using structural equation modeling with observed variables, the results showed that perceived competence and autonomy mediated the relationship between perceived instructor's interacting style and self-determined regulation. It was also found that self-determined regulation was significantly related to exercise enjoyment, positive affect, and exercise frequency. It was concluded that understanding the motivational factors and emotional and behavioral consequences of physical activity will partially explain an individual's motives to engage regularly in exercise.     

有氧运动对记忆的影响及其神经生物学机制

有氧运动是氧气充足时运用大型肌肉群进行有节奏的持续运动。有氧运动可以加快工作记忆任务中的反应速度;在记忆编码前和记忆巩固阶段进行高强度有氧运动有助于提升情景记忆;高强度有氧运动可以促进内隐记忆。有氧运动可以促进神经营养因子的产生,引起长时程增强,激活海马等与记忆相关的脑区并促进神经元再生。未来可探究有氧运动开始和持续时间的影响、有氧运动强度和认知参与的影响、有氧运动对不同年龄性别群体的影响以及脑源性神经营养因子的中介作用,从而深入揭示有氧运动对记忆的影响及其神经生物学机制。     

Behavioural automaticity moderates and mediates the relationship of trait self-control and physical activity behaviour

Objectives: Trait self-control has been shown to be associated with physical activity behaviour. However, in contrast with the theoretical assumption underlying the strength model of self-control, self-control seems to be more important for automatic compared with controlled behaviours. It is argued that self-control might facilitate the formation of adaptive habits (behavioural automaticity) and therefore enhance health behaviour through an indirect effect. The credibility of this hypothesis was empirically assessed in a proof-of-concept study.

Methods: In a prospective design study with two laboratory sessions, participants (N = 124) completed standardised questionnaires assessing trait self-control and behavioural automaticity as predictors (1st session) and actual physical activity behaviour (after one week) as the dependent variable (2nd session).

Results: The predictive power of self-control was stronger for participants with high behavioural automaticity compared with participants with low behavioural automaticity. Furthermore, automaticity mediated the relationship between self-control and behaviour.

Discussion: Behavioural automaticity appears to be a helpful construct for specifying the relationship between self-control and physical activity. Our results support the approach of effortless self-control and self-control success, an extension of the strength model of self-control which assumes that self-control is helpful in creating effective routines. In future studies, causal relationships should be examined using more robust and rigorous research designs.     

运动如何影响青少年抑郁：回顾与展望

近年来运动作为成人临床抑郁症治疗的替代疗法开始受到越来越多的关注,实证研究也支持运动对青少年抑郁症状具有积极影响作用,本文在此基础上系统梳理前人研究,分别对相关横纵向调查和实验干预研究进行回顾,分析总结了运动对青少年抑郁症状影响作用的研究进展。同时,我们对该作用现有的心理假说：自我效能、注意分散、自尊假说和神经生物假说包括神经内分泌、神经营养因子、氧化应激、炎症、皮质厚度和活性、表观遗传假说等分别进行了阐述,结合相关研究结果对这些假说进行了分析探讨。最后,我们认为,未来研究应不断完善相关设计,关注不同运动类型,并结合中国特色,深入探讨在青少年抑郁障碍群体中的最佳抗抑郁运动方案及其作用机制。     

Social cognitive theory correlates of moderate-intensity exercise among adults with type 2 diabetes

The purpose of this study was to identify social cognitive theory (SCT) correlates of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise (MVPA) among adults with type 2 diabetes. Adults with type 2 diabetes (N = 181) participated in the study. Participants were recruited through ResearchMatch.org to complete an online survey. The survey used previously validated instruments to measure dimensions of self-efficacy, self-regulation, social support, outcome expectations, the physical environment, and minutes of MVPA per week. Spearman Rank Correlations were used to determine the relationship between SCT variables and MVPA. Classification and Regression Analysis using a decision tree model was used to determine the amount of variance in MVPA explained by SCT variables. Due to low levels of vigorous activity, only moderate-intensity exercise (MIE) was analyzed. SCT variables explained 42.4% of the variance in MIE. Self-monitoring, social support from family, social support from friends, and self-evaluative outcome expectations all contributed to the variability in MIE. Other contributing variables included self-reward, task self-efficacy, social outcome expectations, overcoming barriers, and self-efficacy for making time for exercise. SCT is a useful theory for identifying correlates of MIE among adults with type 2 diabetes. The SCT correlates can be used to refine diabetes education programs to target the adoption and maintenance of regular exercise.