title: Social control of healthy behavior between intimate college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The author examined whether the type of intimacy (i.e., emotional, intellectual, sexual, social, recreational) featured in college students' romantic relationships affects the extent to which a partner's health-related behavior may be influenced by a variety of behavior change appeals.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirteen female and 94 male college students were surveyed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire sought demographic information and included 2 scales to determine intimacy type levels and estimated responses to behavior change appeals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was determined that emotional and intellectual intimacy had the greatest effects on compliance estimates. The liking strategy was rated as generally most effective, whereas caring fared better in highly intimate relationships, and both threat and responsibility appeals functioned better in relationships featuring lower levels of intimacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When appropriately qualified as initial findings, the outcomes may suggest routes to successfully inspiring particular health behavior changes, especially among partners in emotionally and intellectually intimate relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication and Theatre, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas 66801, USA. mdennis3@emporia.edu
authors.forename: Michael Robert
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dennis
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010379:Peer Group; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012926:Social Control, Formal / Q000379:methods*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data