More Kimberly R, More Curt, Burd Kayla A, Mentzou Aikaterini, Phillips L Alison
Department of Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
Department of Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
Psychol Sport Exerc. 2023 Oct 27:102555. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102555.
Prospect theory proposes that message framing differentially impacts the likelihood of engaging in health-related behaviors. Specifically, gain-framed messages that highlight the benefits of engaging in a behavior are more effective at promoting preventative behaviors than loss-framed messages highlighting the costs associated with a lack of engagement. Research suggests that gain-framed messages may more successfully reduce psychological reactance compared to loss-framed messages, which in turn, may promote behavioral change. However, reactance as a mechanism has been largely overlooked in the literature and support for this hypothesis is mixed. These conflicting results may be due to additional factors, such as outcomes of the targeted behavior (health vs. appearance) and goal orientation. Therefore, the present study examined whether message framing (gain-vs. loss-framing) and the fit between a health message's outcomes of focus (i.e., health vs. appearance) and an individual's goal orientation predict psychological reactance, and in turn, cognitive and behavioral outcomes related to exercise.
This study employed a randomized trial with four experimental groups composed of insufficiently active women. Specifically, participants were randomized to view a loss- or gain-framed video emphasizing either health- or appearance-related outcomes.
Counter to expectations, there were no between-group differences on exercise-related attitudes and intentions immediately post-intervention, or self-reported behavior at one-week post intervention. However, when health outcomes were emphasized, loss-framed messages generally elicited more reactivity than gain-framed messages. This finding was not replicated for the appearance conditions. Appearance messages also generally elicited more reactance than health messages. Meanwhile, reactance did not predict changes in exercise-related attitudes, intentions, or self-reported behavior, and the relationship between messaging content and reactance was generally not moderated by goal orientation.
For young inactive women, receiving messages geared towards appearance-related risks of inactivity (e.g., weight gain) tended to produce more reactivity than messages geared towards health-related risks of inactivity (e.g., weakened immune system). However, this did not change exercise-related attitudes, intentions, or self-reported behaviors. Health gain-framed education regarding exercise may be an important part of a comprehensive intervention toolkit, but is likely not enough in and of itself to support or hinder exercise engagement, regardless of framing or emphasized outcomes.
前景理论提出，信息框架对参与健康相关行为的可能性有不同影响。具体而言，强调行为益处的获益框架信息在促进预防行为方面比强调不参与行为所带来代价的损失框架信息更有效。研究表明，与损失框架信息相比，获益框架信息可能更成功地降低心理抗拒，而心理抗拒反过来又可能促进行为改变。然而，抗拒作为一种机制在文献中很大程度上被忽视了，对这一假设的支持也参差不齐。这些相互矛盾的结果可能归因于其他因素，如目标行为的结果（健康与外表）和目标导向。因此，本研究考察了信息框架（获益框架与损失框架）以及健康信息的关注结果（即健康与外表）与个体目标导向之间的匹配度是否能预测心理抗拒，进而预测与运动相关的认知和行为结果。
本研究采用随机试验，有四个由运动不足的女性组成的实验组。具体来说，参与者被随机分配观看强调与健康或外表相关结果的损失框架或获益框架视频。
与预期相反，干预后即刻在与运动相关的态度和意图上，或干预一周后的自我报告行为方面，各实验组之间没有差异。然而，当强调健康结果时，损失框架信息通常比获益框架信息引发更多的反应性。这一发现在外在形象条件下未得到重复验证。外在形象信息通常也比健康信息引发更多的抗拒。同时，抗拒并不能预测与运动相关的态度、意图或自我报告行为的变化，并且信息内容与抗拒之间的关系通常不受目标导向的调节。
对于缺乏运动的年轻女性，收到针对缺乏运动与外表相关风险（如体重增加）的信息往往比针对缺乏运动与健康相关风险（如免疫系统减弱）的信息产生更多的反应性。然而，这并没有改变与运动相关的态度、意图或自我报告行为。关于运动的健康获益框架教育可能是综合干预工具包的重要组成部分，但无论框架或强调的结果如何，其本身可能不足以支持或阻碍运动参与。
