Department of Health Promotion, Care and Public Health Research Institute (Caphri), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
GGz Breburg, Academic Department of Specialized Mental Health Care, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
BMC Psychol. 2018 Apr 25;6(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s40359-018-0229-0.
Strategies to promote physical activity (PA) focus mainly on changing or fostering explicit cognitions and are only modestly effective. Contemporary studies suggest that, as well as explicit cognitions, implicit cognitions influence health behavior, such as PA, and that implicit processes interact with the intention to be active. Relatively little is known about whether implicit processes interact with other explicit cognitions which determine PA intention and behavior, i.e. self-efficacy. The aim of the current study was to investigate the direct effects of explicit cognitions and implicit attitudes on PA behavior as well as interactions between them regarding intention and behavior prediction.
In a longitudinal study, participants (N = 340) completed self-report measures of explicit cognitions (perceived pros, perceived cons, social norms, social modeling, self-efficacy, intention) and activity levels, as well as a Single-Category Implicit Association Task to measure implicit attitudes towards PA at baseline (T0), and at one (T1) and 3 months thereafter (T2).
Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that T0-positive implicit attitudes moderated the relationship between T0 self-efficacy and T1 PA. Similarly, T0-neutral implicit attitudes were associated with the relationship between T0 intention and T1 PA. Negative implicit attitudes strengthened the negative relationship between perceived cons and intention at baseline; neutral or positive implicit attitudes strengthened the positive relationship between self-efficacy and intention. At the follow-ups, the relationship between social modeling and intention was strengthened by negative implicit attitudes.
This study revealed important insights into how implicit attitudes and explicit cognitions synergistically predict PA intention and behavior. As well as targeting explicit cognitions, steering a person's implicit attitude towards a more positive one, i.e. by implicit cognitive trainings, could help to increase both PA intention and behavior.
促进身体活动（PA）的策略主要侧重于改变或培养明确的认知，但其效果有限。当代研究表明，除了明确的认知外，内隐认知也会影响健康行为，如 PA，并且内隐过程与积极参与的意图相互作用。人们对内隐过程是否与其他决定 PA 意图和行为的明确认知（即自我效能感）相互作用知之甚少。本研究的目的是调查明确认知和内隐态度对 PA 行为的直接影响，以及它们在意图和行为预测方面的相互作用。
在一项纵向研究中，参与者（N=340）在基线（T0）时完成了关于明确认知（感知益处、感知弊端、社会规范、社会榜样、自我效能感、意图）和活动水平的自我报告测量，以及单类别内隐联想测验来测量对 PA 的内隐态度，以及在一个月（T1）和三个月后（T2）进行。
层次多重回归显示，T0 时积极的内隐态度调节了 T0 自我效能感与 T1 PA 之间的关系。同样，T0 时中性的内隐态度与 T0 意图与 T1 PA 之间的关系有关。消极的内隐态度在基线时加强了感知弊端与意图之间的负相关；中性或积极的内隐态度加强了自我效能感与意图之间的正相关。在随访中，负面内隐态度加强了社会榜样与意图之间的关系。
这项研究揭示了内隐态度和明确认知如何协同预测 PA 意图和行为的重要见解。除了针对明确认知外，通过内隐认知训练使一个人的内隐态度向更积极的方向转变，也可以帮助提高 PA 意图和行为。
