Integrating the Unified Theory and Stages of Change to Create Targeted Health Messages

This study investigates the effects of targeted health messages toward reducing fat consumption by applying the unified theory of behavior change ( Fishbein et al., 2001 ) and the stages of change model. In Study 1, affect and outcome expectancies significantly discriminated individuals within each stage of change. In Study 2, affect was more effective in changing intention for precontemplative individuals, whereas outcome expectancies were more effective in changing intention for contemplative individuals. Gender was a higher-order moderator of this relationship: Precontemplative males were more influenced by an affective message, whereas contemplative males were more affected by a cognitive message. For females, a cognitive message was more effective for precontemplative individuals. There were no differences between the messages for contemplative females.     

Fourier analysis of covert speech behavior

Frequency characteristics of electromyographic traces from the tongue and lips were studied as a function of class of phonemic input. Previous research has established that there are amplitude increases in the lips while processing bilabial linguistic units such as [p] and in the tongue when processing lingual-alveolar units (like [t]). Preliminary results using variability measures suggest similar conclusions for frequency parameters.