Abstract
ObjectiveWhy are people who suffer from depressive symptoms or chronic negative mood less likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle? We postulated that adoption of health goals (HGs) and health behaviors is impeded by negative affect (NA) and facilitated by positive affect (PA). Our aim was to assess the associations between NA and PA, measured as a state and as a trait, and perceptions of HGs and related means. In our studies we tested the relationship between perceptions of HGs and affect measured as a state and as a trait.MethodsParticipants in three online studies were asked to choose and evaluate a health goal (Studies 1–3) or a health goal and related means (Study 3). In Study 1 we used the personal project analysis to assess 10 dimensions of HGs, inter-goal interference, and inter-goal facilitation; in Studies 2 and 3 we used a specially designed questionnaire to assess the difficulty, attainability, controllability, and congruency with self-identity of HGs and related means. We used the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule to measure trait and state affect and the NEO PI-R to measure neuroticism and extraversion.ResultsParticipants perceived their HGs and related means in mood-congruent ways. High NA participants perceived their HGs to be less controllable, less attainable, more difficult, and less congruent with their self-identity. They also perceived their related means to be more difficult and less congruent with their self-identity. In contrast, high PA participants perceived their HGs and related means to be more attainable and more congruent with their self-identity, and they evaluated their related means as less difficult. In addition, our results suggest that state affect is better associated with perceptions of HGs than trait affect.ConclusionThe adoption and attainment of HGs is likely to be facilitated by PA but impeded by NA. PA and NA may also impact the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyles. These results help provide a better understanding of the reasons why people with depression or negative mood adhere to behaviors that compromise their health.
Highlights
Nowadays, the most significant causes of death in developed countries are related to non-communicable diseases and can be prevented by health behaviors (e.g. Khaw et al, 2008)
Many people do not follow healthy lifestyles. One reason for this may be related to negative affect, as health-compromising behaviors are correlated with depressive symptoms and negative mood, and the number of health-compromising behaviors increases with the severity of depression (Allgöwer et al, 2001; Bonnet et al, 2005; Harrington et al, 2009; Vangeli et al, 2010; Taniguchi et al, 2014; Ferrer et al, 2016)
We conducted a correlational analysis for the Personal project analysis (PPA) dimensions, positive and negative affect, and control variables
Summary
The most significant causes of death in developed countries are related to non-communicable diseases and can be prevented by health behaviors (e.g. Khaw et al, 2008). The present research investigated one possible factor in this relationship through a series of studies based on the premise that behaviors are largely guided by goals and that goals are likely to be perceived differently depending on a person’s affective state. If this is the case, such differences in perception could be expected to impact the adoption and pursuit of health goals (HGs). Because affect can be viewed in terms of a stable trait or a variable state, we tested the influence of both trait affect and state affect in order to assess which has more influence on perceptions of HGs
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