How Do Emotions during Goal Pursuit in Weight Change over Time? Retrospective Computational Text Analysis of Goal Setting and Striving Conversations with a Coach during a Mobile Weight Loss Program.

Heather Behr,Qiuchen Yang,Ellen Siobhan Mitchell,Andreas Michealides,Annabell Suh Ho,Laura Deluca

doi:10.3390/ijerph18126600

Abstract

During behavioral weight management, individuals reflect on their progress and barriers through goal pursuit (goal setting and goal striving). Emotions during goal pursuit are largely unknown, and previous investigations of emotions in weight management have primarily relied on self-report. In this retrospective study, we used a well-validated computational text analysis approach to explore how emotion words changed over time during goal setting and striving conversations with a coach in a mobile weight loss program. Linear mixed models examined changes in emotion words each month from baseline to program end and compared emotion words between individuals who set an overall concrete goal for the program (concrete goal setters) and those who set an overall abstract goal (abstract goal setters). Contrary to findings using self-report, positive emotion words were stable and negative emotion words significantly increased over time. There was a marginal trend towards greater negative emotion word use being associated with greater weight loss. Concrete goal setters used more positive words than abstract goal setters, with no differences in negative emotion words and weight loss. Implications include the possibility that individuals may need increasing support over time for negative emotions expressed during goal setting and striving, and concrete goals could boost positive emotion. Future research should investigate these possibilities.

Highlights

We extended this work to weight management by collecting over 1,573,000 words used in goal setting and striving conversations on a mobile weight loss program
We first explored whether positive emotion and negative emotion words significantly increased over time for participants overall (Table 2)
Studies using large-scale computational text analysis have previously found that emotional words map onto experienced emotion and reveal new patterns beyond those reported in self-report survey studies, but this approach is rarely used in weight management research [25,26,27,28,29,30,31,82,83]

Summary

Introduction

Emotions and Goal Pursuit in Weight Management. Modest weight loss can improve the risk of these conditions [3,4]. Weight loss is challenging, with considerable attrition, perceived barriers, and inconsistencies in outcomes [5,6]. Goal pursuit can be understood as “goal setting”, in which users set goals, reflect, and receive feedback on attainment, and “goal striving”, in which individuals make plans to achieve goals and handle barriers [10,11,12,13,14]. Programs increasingly involve coaches to provide an environment for individuals to explicitly set reasonable goals and cope with emotional challenges in striving to meet them [15,16,17].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion