The Roles of Age-Morphing Technology in Enhancing Individuals’ Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Intentions: The Moderating Effects of Self-Esteem

Abstract

This study examined whether exposing individuals to an age-morphed image of their future selves has positive impacts on physical activity and healthy eating intentions depending on the level of self-esteem. In this study, a 2 (type of future self: age-morphed image vs. simple imagination of future self) × 2 (self-esteem: low vs. high) experimental design was used, where the type of future self was manipulated while self-esteem was measured. The results suggested that individuals with high self-esteem exposed to future selves via age-morphing technology more concretely perceived their future selves and thus showed greater intention to engage in physical activity in the future than those who simply imagined their future selves. Meanwhile, the positive effects of an age-morphed image on future intention to engage in physical activity were not found for low self-esteem individuals. Moreover, the age-morphing technology did not impact individuals’ healthy eating intentions.