title: Goals and Social Comparisons Promote Walking Behavior.
abstract: The effectiveness of a pedometer intervention was affected by manipulating the goals given to participants and by providing social comparison feedback about how participants' performance compared with others. In study 1 (n= 148), university staff members received a low, medium, or high walking goal (10%, 50%, or 100% increase over baseline walking). Participants walked 1358 more steps per day (95% confidence interval [CI], 729, 1985), when receiving a high goal than when receiving a medium goal, but a medium goal did not increase walking relative to a low goal (554 more steps; 95% CI, -71,1179). In study 2 (n= 64), participants received individual feedback only or individual plus social comparison feedback. Participants walked 1120 more steps per day (95% CI, 538, 1703) when receiving social comparison feedback than when receiving only individual feedback. Goals and the performance of others act as reference points and influence the effect that pedometer feedback has on walking behavior, illustrating the applicability of the principles of behavioral economics and social psychology to the design of health behavior interventions.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health, Healthcare Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA (GBC, KC)
authors.forename: Gretchen B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: Anderson School of Management, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA (HC)
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Colby
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health, Healthcare Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA (GBC, KC)
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Convery
authors.affiliation: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA (EJC)
authors.forename: Elliot J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Coups
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000328:Adult; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D066262:Social Norms; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: behavior change; goals; pedometer; physical activity; reference point; social comparison; walking