Predicting Adolescents' Physical Activity Intentions: Testing an Integrated Social Cognition Model.

BACKGROUND: Few adolescents meet guideline levels of physical activity associated with good health, highlighting the need for intervention. Interventions promoting adolescents' physical activity should be guided by research applying behavioral theory to identify potentially modifiable correlates and associated processes. We applied an integrated social cognition model to identify theory-based constructs and processes that relate to physical activity intentions in a secondary analysis of two samples of Finnish adolescents using a correlational design. METHOD: Participants in the first sample (n = 455) completed self-report measures of social cognition constructs from theory of planned behavior, habit, self-discipline, and past and current physical activities. Participants in the second sample (n = 3878) completed identical measures plus measures of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors. Participants from the first sample also wore accelerometers for 1 week. Hypothesized model effects were tested using variance-based structural equation modeling in data from the first sample and subsequently confirmed in a pre-registered analysis of data from the second sample. RESULTS: Across both samples, habit, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and self-reported past behavior were associated with physical activity intention. Effects of self-reported past physical activity on intention were partially mediated by social cognition constructs. Effects of accelerometer-based physical activity were small by comparison. Effects of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors on intention in the second sample were partially mediated by the social cognition constructs. CONCLUSION: Results corroborate beliefs and habit as consistent correlates of adolescents' physical activity intentions and provide preliminary evidence that social cognition constructs account for effects of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors on intentions.

Self-efficacy, motivation, and habits: psychological correlates of exercise among women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to explore associations between exercise behaviour among breast cancer survivors and three behavioural constructs from distinct theories: self-efficacy from social cognitive theory, motivation from self-determination theory, and habits from habit theory. METHODS: Breast cancer survivors (n = 204) completed a cross-sectional survey that collected demographic and disease characteristics, exercise levels, and self-efficacy, motivation, and habits. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify constructs associated with total activity and resistance training. RESULTS: Participants were a mean (SD) age of 57.3 (10.8) years and most were diagnosed with early-stage disease (72%) and engaged in sufficient levels of total activity (94%), though only 45% completed ≥ 2 resistance training sessions/week. Identified motivation (ꞵ[95% CI] = 7.6 [3.9-11.3]) and habits (ꞵ[95% CI] = 4.4 [1.4-7.4]) were significantly associated with total activity (as were body mass index and disease stage), whilst identified motivation (ꞵ[95% CI] = 0.6 [0.3-0.9]) and coping self-efficacy (ꞵ[95% CI] = 0.02 [< 0.01-0.03]) were significantly associated with resistance training. The models explained 27% and 16% of variance in total activity and resistance training behaviour, respectively. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that incorporating strategies that support identified motivation, habits, and coping self-efficacy in future interventions could promote increased exercise behaviour among breast cancer populations. Future longitudinal research should examine associations with exercise in a more representative, population-based sample.

Tasks for a theoretical psychology of emotion.

In the first part of the article, the central role of theory in emotion psychology is underscored and reasons are given why more theoretical psychology of emotion is needed. In the second part, nine tasks for the theoretical psychology of emotion are defined, by refining and extending three of the general tasks of theoretical psychology proposed 70 years ago by Sigmund Koch [Theoretical psychology, 1950: An overview. Psychological Review, 58(4), 295. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055768]. The nine tasks are: (1) Analysis, rational reconstruction and critique of existing emotion theories. (2) Comparison of different theories. (3) Systematization and integration of theories. (4) Reconstruction of the development of theories over time. (5) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of theory-data and data-theory inferences. (6) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of the complete set of arguments for and against specific emotion-theoretic assumption and whole theories. (7) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of measurement theories for emotions. (8) Development of new emotion theories and theories of emotion measurement. (9) Information about theoretical and methodological developments of interest to emotion psychology in other subdisciplines of psychology and in neighbouring sciences, and export of theories and methods to other disciplines.

Self-control and health-related behaviour: The role of implicit self-control, trait self-control, and lay beliefs in self-control.

OBJECTIVES: We tested unique contribution of trait self-control, implicit self-control, and lay beliefs in self-control beliefs to the prediction of health-related behaviours. We also tested whether relations between trait self-control and health-related behaviour, and between implicit self-control and health-related behaviours, were moderated by self-control beliefs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, correlational. METHODS: Students (N = 176) completed self-report measures of trait self-control, lay beliefs that self-control is limited or non-limited, non-planning, participation in health-related behaviours (impulsive eating, impulsive drinking, exercise avoidance, watching diet, alcohol consumption, physical activity participation), and demographic variables. Participants also completed a measure of implicit self-control using an implicit association test. RESULTS: Analyses indicated significant negative relations between implicit self-control and impulsive drinking and alcohol consumption. We also found a positive relationship between implicit self-control and exercise behaviour, and a negative relationship between implicit self-control and impulsive eating, both of which fell marginally short of statistical significance. Trait self-control significantly predicted all behavioural measures and attenuated relations between implicit self-control and health-related behaviour. We found no relations between lay beliefs in self-control and health-related behaviour. Moderated path analyses revealed that lay beliefs in self-control moderated relations between trait self-control and impulsive drinking, implicit self-control and exercise avoidance, and implicit self-control and physical activity participation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that trait self-control was a consistent correlate of health-related behaviour, while the effect sizes of relationships between implicit self-control and health-related behaviours were small. Strength of relations between trait self-control and health-related behaviours may depend on whether or not individuals believe self-control is limited. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Self-control represents individuals capacity to override impulses, break habits, and avoid temptations. Trait self-control is consistently and positively related to uptake of health-promoting behaviours (e.g., physical activity, healthy eating). Trait self-control is consistently and negatively related to health-compromising behaviours (e.g., alcohol consumption, unhealthy snacking). What does this study add? Proposes that self-control can also be measured implicitly, beyond individuals' awareness. Examined effects of implicit measures of self-control and self-reported trait self-control on multiple health behaviours. Effects of implicit self-control on health behaviours were small and subsumed by trait self-control. Effects of lay beliefs in self-control moderated effects of implicit and trait self-control on some health behaviours.

Examining Developmental Patterns of Prison Misconduct: An Integrated Model Approach.

Recent prison scholarship has employed an integrated model of the developmental/life-course perspectives and importation model to examine prison misconduct. Using longitudinal data from a large sample of inmates incarcerated in a U.S. prison system, this study attempts to validate and expand recent prison research by systematically examining the relationship among inmate characteristics and misconduct trajectories, particularly for the higher/chronic pattern of misconduct relative to other identified clusters. The results show that smaller groups of inmates have persistent criminal careers and continually engaged in high level of misconduct. In addition, several inmate characteristics associated with prison misconduct can also be useful to distinguishing high-risk inmates/persistent offenders from groups that offend at low rates over time. These findings could provide vital information to prison officials in developing and designing alternative prison services, assistance, and rehabilitation programs based on the misconduct trajectories.

Trait Self-Control, Social Cognition Constructs, and Intentions: Correlational Evidence for Mediation and Moderation Effects in Diverse Health Behaviours.

BACKGROUND: We examined effects of trait self-control, constructs from social cognition theories, and intentions on health behaviours. Trait self-control was expected to predict health behaviour indirectly through theory constructs and intentions. Trait self-control was also predicted to moderate the intention-behaviour relationship. METHODS: Proposed effects were tested in six datasets for ten health-related behaviours from studies adopting prospective designs. Participants (N = 3,249) completed measures of constructs from social cognition theories and self-control at an initial time point and self-reported their behaviour at follow-up. RESULTS: Results revealed indirect effects of self-control on behaviour through social cognition constructs and intentions for eight behaviours: eating fruit and vegetables, avoiding fast food, dietary restrictions, binge drinking, physical activity, walking, out-of-school physical activity, and pre-drinking. Self-control moderated the intention-behaviour relationship in four behaviours: dietary restriction, and alcohol-related behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Mediation effects suggest that individuals with high self-control are more likely to hold beliefs and intentions to participate in future health behaviour, and more likely to act. Moderation effects indicate that individuals with high self-control are more likely to enact healthy intentions and inhibit unhealthy intentions, but findings were restricted to few behaviours. Training self-control and managing contingencies that derail goal-directed action may be effective intervention strategies.

Toward a mechanistic explanation of phenotypic evolution: The need for a theory of theory integration.

Reconciling different underlying ontologies and explanatory contexts has been one of the main challenges and impediments for theory integration in biology. Here, we analyze the challenge of developing an inclusive and integrative theory of phenotypic evolution as an example for the broader challenge of developing a theory of theory integration within the life sciences and suggest a number of necessary formal steps toward the resolution of often incompatible (hidden) assumptions. Theory integration in biology requires a better formal understanding of the structure of biological theories The strategy for integrating theories crucially depends on the relationships of the underlying ontologies.

How the twain can meet: Prospect theory and models of heuristics in risky choice.

Two influential approaches to modeling choice between risky options are algebraic models (which focus on predicting the overt decisions) and models of heuristics (which are also concerned with capturing the underlying cognitive process). Because they rest on fundamentally different assumptions and algorithms, the two approaches are usually treated as antithetical, or even incommensurable. Drawing on cumulative prospect theory (CPT; Tversky & Kahneman, 1992) as the currently most influential instance of a descriptive algebraic model, we demonstrate how the two modeling traditions can be linked. CPT's algebraic functions characterize choices in terms of psychophysical (diminishing sensitivity to probabilities and outcomes) as well as psychological (risk aversion and loss aversion) constructs. Models of heuristics characterize choices as rooted in simple information-processing principles such as lexicographic and limited search. In computer simulations, we estimated CPT's parameters for choices produced by various heuristics. The resulting CPT parameter profiles portray each of the choice-generating heuristics in psychologically meaningful ways-capturing, for instance, differences in how the heuristics process probability information. Furthermore, CPT parameters can reflect a key property of many heuristics, lexicographic search, and track the environment-dependent behavior of heuristics. Finally, we show, both in an empirical and a model recovery study, how CPT parameter profiles can be used to detect the operation of heuristics. We also address the limits of CPT's ability to capture choices produced by heuristics. Our results highlight an untapped potential of CPT as a measurement tool to characterize the information processing underlying risky choice.

A longitudinal investigation of older adults' physical activity: Testing an integrated dual-process model.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of conscious and non-conscious processes for prediction of older adults' physical activity (PA), we tested a dual-process model that integrated motivational (behavioural intention) and volitional (action planning and coping planning) processes with non-conscious, automatic processes (habit). METHOD: Participants (N = 215) comprised community-dwelling older adults (M = 73.8 years). A longitudinal design was adopted to investigate direct and indirect effects of intentions, habit strength (Time 1), and action planning and coping planning (Time 2) on PA behaviour (Time 3). Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the model. RESULTS: The model provided a good fit to the data, accounting for 44% of the variance in PA behaviour at Time 3. PA was predicted by intentions, action planning, and habit strength, with action planning mediating the intention-behaviour relationship. An effect of sex was also found where males used fewer planning strategies and engaged in more PA than females. CONCLUSIONS: By investigating an integration of conscious and non-conscious processes, this study provides a novel understanding of older adults' PA. Interventions aiming to promote PA behaviour of older adults should target the combination of psychological processes.

The relativity of biological function.

Function is a central concept in biological theories and explanations. Yet discussions about function are often based on a narrow understanding of biological systems and processes, such as idealized molecular systems or simple evolutionary, i.e., selective, dynamics. Conflicting conceptions of function continue to be used in the scientific literature to support certain claims, for instance about the fraction of "functional DNA" in the human genome. Here we argue that all biologically meaningful interpretations of function are necessarily context dependent. This implies that they derive their meaning as well as their range of applicability only within a specific theoretical and measurement context. We use this framework to shed light on the current debate about functional DNA and argue that without considering explicitly the theoretical and measurement contexts all attempts to integrate biological theories are prone to fail.

Integration of the interaction model of client health behavior and transactional model of stress and coping as a tool for understanding retention in HIV care across the lifespan.

Retaining people living with HIV (PLWH) in care over the lifespan is critical to quality and longevity of life. Individual health behavior decisions that affect care retention are complicated and multifactorial. Current health behavior theories are inadequate in isolation to guide retention in care research. Two existing models, Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior, and Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping have both guided research with PLWH, although not related to retention in care. Integration of these models may more comprehensively inform care retention research and practice across the lifespan as it incorporates not only intra- and inter-personal characteristics and relationships but also the stress and coping experiences inevitable when living with a chronic illness such as HIV.

Testing a Longitudinal Integrated Self-Efficacy and Self-Determination Theory Model for Physical Activity Post-Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Self-determination theory and self-efficacy theory are prominent theories in the physical activity literature, and studies have begun integrating their concepts. Sweet, Fortier, Strachan and Blanchard (2012) have integrated these two theories in a cross-sectional study. Therefore, this study sought to test a longitudinal integrated model to predict physical activity at the end of a 4-month cardiac rehabilitation program based on theory, research and Sweet et al.'s cross-sectional model. Participants from two cardiac rehabilitation programs (N=109) answered validated self-report questionnaires at baseline, two and four months. Data were analyzed using Amos to assess the path analysis and model fit. Prior to integration, perceived competence and self-efficacy were combined, and labeled as confidence. After controlling for 2-month physical activity and cardiac rehabilitation site, no motivational variables significantly predicted residual change in 4-month physical activity. Although confidence at two months did not predict residual change in 4-month physical activity, it had a strong positive relationship with 2-month physical activity (ß=0.30, P<0.001). The overall model retained good fit indices. In conclusion, results diverged from theoretical predictions of physical activity, but self-determination and self-efficacy theory were still partially supported. Because the model had good fit, this study demonstrated that theoretical integration is feasible.