Department of Integrative Health, Saybrook University, 55 W Eureka St, Pasadena, CA 91103, USA.
Academic Research, Noom, 229 W 28th St., New York, NY 10461, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jun 19;18(12):6600. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18126600.
During behavioral weight management, individuals reflect on their progress and barriers through goal pursuit (goal setting and goal striving). Emotions during goal pursuit are largely unknown, and previous investigations of emotions in weight management have primarily relied on self-report. In this retrospective study, we used a well-validated computational text analysis approach to explore how emotion words changed over time during goal setting and striving conversations with a coach in a mobile weight loss program. Linear mixed models examined changes in emotion words each month from baseline to program end and compared emotion words between individuals who set an overall concrete goal for the program (concrete goal setters) and those who set an overall abstract goal (abstract goal setters). Contrary to findings using self-report, positive emotion words were stable and negative emotion words significantly increased over time. There was a marginal trend towards greater negative emotion word use being associated with greater weight loss. Concrete goal setters used more positive words than abstract goal setters, with no differences in negative emotion words and weight loss. Implications include the possibility that individuals may need increasing support over time for negative emotions expressed during goal setting and striving, and concrete goals could boost positive emotion. Future research should investigate these possibilities.
在行为体重管理中，个体通过目标追求（目标设定和目标努力）反思自己的进展和障碍。目标追求过程中的情绪在很大程度上是未知的，以前关于体重管理中的情绪的研究主要依赖于自我报告。在这项回顾性研究中，我们使用了一种经过充分验证的计算文本分析方法，来探索在一个移动减肥计划中与教练进行的目标设定和努力对话过程中，情绪词汇是如何随时间变化的。线性混合模型从基线到计划结束时每个月检查情绪词汇的变化，并比较了为计划设定总体具体目标的个体（具体目标设定者）和设定总体抽象目标的个体（抽象目标设定者）之间的情绪词汇。与使用自我报告的发现相反，积极情绪词汇是稳定的，而消极情绪词汇随着时间的推移显著增加。消极情绪词汇的使用与体重减轻呈正相关的趋势有一定的倾向。具体目标设定者比抽象目标设定者使用更多的积极词汇，而消极情绪词汇和体重减轻则没有差异。这意味着，随着时间的推移，个体可能需要对目标设定和努力过程中表达的负面情绪给予更多的支持，而具体目标可能会增强积极情绪。未来的研究应该探讨这些可能性。
