Memorable messages about breast cancer sent by different sources, such as friends and family memb... more Memorable messages about breast cancer sent by different sources, such as friends and family members, were analyzed for the action tendency emotions that they evoked. Negative emotions of fear, sadness, and anger, and positive emotions of hope and relief were analyzed for their associations with prevention and detection breast cancer behaviors. Messages that evoked fear were significantly more likely to be associated with detection behaviors, whereas messages that evoked relief were significantly less likely to be associated with detection behaviors than messages that did not evoke these emotions. These results are consistent with control theory and also show that friends and family are important sources of memorable messages about breast cancer.
The use of time in outpatient cancer clinics is a marker of quality and efficiency. Inefficiencie... more The use of time in outpatient cancer clinics is a marker of quality and efficiency. Inefficiencies such as excessive patient wait times can have deleterious effects on clinic flow, functioning, and patient satisfaction. We propose a novel method of objectively measuring patient time in cancer clinic examination rooms and evaluating its impact on overall system efficiency. We video-recorded patient visits (N = 55) taken from a larger study to determine patient occupancy and flow in and out of examination rooms in a busy urban clinic in a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Coders observed video recordings and assessed patient occupancy time, patient wait time, and physician-patient interaction time. Patient occupancy time was compared with scheduled occupancy time to determine discrepancy in occupancy time. Descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted. Mean patient occupancy time was 94.8 minutes (SD = 36.6), mean wait time was 34.9 minutes (SD = 28.8), and mean patient-physician interaction time was 29.0 minutes (SD = 13.5). Mean discrepancy in occupancy time was 40.3 minutes (range, 0.75 to 146.5 minutes). We found no correlation between scheduled occupancy time and patient occupancy time, patient-physician interaction time, and patient wait time, or between discrepancy in occupancy time and patient-physician interaction time. The method is useful for assessing clinic efficiency and patient flow. There was no relationship between scheduled and actual time patients spend in exam rooms. Such data can be used in the design of interventions that reduce patient wait times, increase efficient use of resources, and improve scheduling patterns.
Perceived benefits of and barriers to physical activity (PA) reported by 206 middle school boys a... more Perceived benefits of and barriers to physical activity (PA) reported by 206 middle school boys and girls in a survey were compared. Only "take care of myself, stay in shape, and be healthier" emerged as a greater benefit for girls than boys. Among students not on a sports team, boys reported fewer barriers than girls. Among those selecting an active pursuit, boys perceived more barriers than girls. When controlling for sports team participation and perceived benefits and barriers, boys reported more minutes of vigorous PA than girls. As boys and girls reported relatively similar benefits of and barriers to PA, nurse counseling with both groups can focus on the same information. Effort is particularly needed to increase PA among girls.
To explore gender and age differences in social support and their relationship with physical acti... more To explore gender and age differences in social support and their relationship with physical activity. This cross-sectional study with enhanced reliability due to repeated measures involved 105 boys and 101 girls. Information on sources and forms of social support, as well as physical activity, was obtained from students, who completed the same questionnaire twice, 2 weeks apart. Boys, compared with girls, were more likely to name fathers and less likely to identify sisters. Compared with older boys, older girls were less likely to identify fathers. Older girls were less likely than both younger girls and older boys to name brothers. Students who identified fathers reported more minutes and days of physical activity and had a stronger physical activity self-definition than those who did not name fathers. Students who selected peers and sisters had more minutes of physical activity and a stronger physical activity self-definition, respectively, than those who did not name peers and sisters. Transportation and encouragement were related to physical activity. Gender differences in social support are not uniform across age groups. Awareness of these differences can inform the development of appropriate physical activity programs.
The social norms marketing approach is one method used to reduce extreme alcohol consumption. The... more The social norms marketing approach is one method used to reduce extreme alcohol consumption. The current study implemented a web-based survey (N = 891) to assess whether sensation-seeking, perceived moderate drinking norms, and social norm message believability impacted alcohol consumption on a college campus. Sensation seeking was not directly related to normative perceptions of others' moderate alcohol consumption. Sensation seeking, perceived norms, and message believability all had direct effects on alcohol consumption, and the interaction of sensation seeking and message believability impacted alcohol consumption, while the interaction of sensation seeking and perceived norms on alcohol consumption was marginally significant. Implications of these findings for the social norms marketing approach are discussed.
The principle of veracity specifies a moral asymmetry between honesty and deceit. Deception requi... more The principle of veracity specifies a moral asymmetry between honesty and deceit. Deception requires justification, whereas honesty does not. Three experiments provide evidence consistent with the principle of veracity. In Study 1, participants (N = 66) selected honest or deceptive messages in response to situations in which motive was varied. Study 2 (N = 66) replicated the first with written, open-ended responses coded for
Abstract The warranting principle pertains to impression formation in Internet communication. It ... more Abstract The warranting principle pertains to impression formation in Internet communication. It posits that perceivers' judgments about a target rely more heavily on information which the targets themselves cannot manipulate than on self-descriptions. Two experiments employed mock-up profiles resembling the Internet site, Facebook, to display self-generated clues and to display other-generated clues about a Facebook user. The first experiment (N= 115) tested perceptions of extraversion. Although warranting was ...
This review examined evidence regarding computer- or web-based interventions to increase preadole... more This review examined evidence regarding computer- or web-based interventions to increase preadolescent and adolescent physical activity. Today's youth are less active and more overweight than their counterparts from 25 years ago. Overweight youth tend to become overweight adults with weight-related maladies, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Interventions to increase physical activity that reach a large audience are needed. Computer- and web-based physical activity interventions are an appealing means to influence physical activity in preadolescents and adolescents. However, their effectiveness must be determined. The following electronic databases were searched for studies published from 1998 through 2010: CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, SportDISCUS and Proquest. A systemic review was conducted. Fourteen randomized control trials or quasi-experimental studies were reviewed to: (1) determine the effect of computer- or web-based interventions on increasing physical activity and/or improving body mass index, weight, percent body fat or waist circumference as a result of increasing physical activity; and (2) examine if additional components associated with these interventions increased success. Although most interventions demonstrated statistically significant increases in physical activity or positive health changes related to physical activity, findings were small or short-lived. The value of conducting the interventions at school, using a theory or model as a framework, and supplementing with individual tailoring and parental involvement, is discussed. Computer- and web-based interventions can promote physical activity among preadolescents and adolescents, particularly in schools. However, further efforts are needed to sustain positive changes.
Memorable messages about breast cancer sent by different sources, such as friends and family memb... more Memorable messages about breast cancer sent by different sources, such as friends and family members, were analyzed for the action tendency emotions that they evoked. Negative emotions of fear, sadness, and anger, and positive emotions of hope and relief were analyzed for their associations with prevention and detection breast cancer behaviors. Messages that evoked fear were significantly more likely to be associated with detection behaviors, whereas messages that evoked relief were significantly less likely to be associated with detection behaviors than messages that did not evoke these emotions. These results are consistent with control theory and also show that friends and family are important sources of memorable messages about breast cancer.
The use of time in outpatient cancer clinics is a marker of quality and efficiency. Inefficiencie... more The use of time in outpatient cancer clinics is a marker of quality and efficiency. Inefficiencies such as excessive patient wait times can have deleterious effects on clinic flow, functioning, and patient satisfaction. We propose a novel method of objectively measuring patient time in cancer clinic examination rooms and evaluating its impact on overall system efficiency. We video-recorded patient visits (N = 55) taken from a larger study to determine patient occupancy and flow in and out of examination rooms in a busy urban clinic in a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Coders observed video recordings and assessed patient occupancy time, patient wait time, and physician-patient interaction time. Patient occupancy time was compared with scheduled occupancy time to determine discrepancy in occupancy time. Descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted. Mean patient occupancy time was 94.8 minutes (SD = 36.6), mean wait time was 34.9 minutes (SD = 28.8), and mean patient-physician interaction time was 29.0 minutes (SD = 13.5). Mean discrepancy in occupancy time was 40.3 minutes (range, 0.75 to 146.5 minutes). We found no correlation between scheduled occupancy time and patient occupancy time, patient-physician interaction time, and patient wait time, or between discrepancy in occupancy time and patient-physician interaction time. The method is useful for assessing clinic efficiency and patient flow. There was no relationship between scheduled and actual time patients spend in exam rooms. Such data can be used in the design of interventions that reduce patient wait times, increase efficient use of resources, and improve scheduling patterns.
Perceived benefits of and barriers to physical activity (PA) reported by 206 middle school boys a... more Perceived benefits of and barriers to physical activity (PA) reported by 206 middle school boys and girls in a survey were compared. Only "take care of myself, stay in shape, and be healthier" emerged as a greater benefit for girls than boys. Among students not on a sports team, boys reported fewer barriers than girls. Among those selecting an active pursuit, boys perceived more barriers than girls. When controlling for sports team participation and perceived benefits and barriers, boys reported more minutes of vigorous PA than girls. As boys and girls reported relatively similar benefits of and barriers to PA, nurse counseling with both groups can focus on the same information. Effort is particularly needed to increase PA among girls.
To explore gender and age differences in social support and their relationship with physical acti... more To explore gender and age differences in social support and their relationship with physical activity. This cross-sectional study with enhanced reliability due to repeated measures involved 105 boys and 101 girls. Information on sources and forms of social support, as well as physical activity, was obtained from students, who completed the same questionnaire twice, 2 weeks apart. Boys, compared with girls, were more likely to name fathers and less likely to identify sisters. Compared with older boys, older girls were less likely to identify fathers. Older girls were less likely than both younger girls and older boys to name brothers. Students who identified fathers reported more minutes and days of physical activity and had a stronger physical activity self-definition than those who did not name fathers. Students who selected peers and sisters had more minutes of physical activity and a stronger physical activity self-definition, respectively, than those who did not name peers and sisters. Transportation and encouragement were related to physical activity. Gender differences in social support are not uniform across age groups. Awareness of these differences can inform the development of appropriate physical activity programs.
The social norms marketing approach is one method used to reduce extreme alcohol consumption. The... more The social norms marketing approach is one method used to reduce extreme alcohol consumption. The current study implemented a web-based survey (N = 891) to assess whether sensation-seeking, perceived moderate drinking norms, and social norm message believability impacted alcohol consumption on a college campus. Sensation seeking was not directly related to normative perceptions of others' moderate alcohol consumption. Sensation seeking, perceived norms, and message believability all had direct effects on alcohol consumption, and the interaction of sensation seeking and message believability impacted alcohol consumption, while the interaction of sensation seeking and perceived norms on alcohol consumption was marginally significant. Implications of these findings for the social norms marketing approach are discussed.
The principle of veracity specifies a moral asymmetry between honesty and deceit. Deception requi... more The principle of veracity specifies a moral asymmetry between honesty and deceit. Deception requires justification, whereas honesty does not. Three experiments provide evidence consistent with the principle of veracity. In Study 1, participants (N = 66) selected honest or deceptive messages in response to situations in which motive was varied. Study 2 (N = 66) replicated the first with written, open-ended responses coded for
Abstract The warranting principle pertains to impression formation in Internet communication. It ... more Abstract The warranting principle pertains to impression formation in Internet communication. It posits that perceivers' judgments about a target rely more heavily on information which the targets themselves cannot manipulate than on self-descriptions. Two experiments employed mock-up profiles resembling the Internet site, Facebook, to display self-generated clues and to display other-generated clues about a Facebook user. The first experiment (N= 115) tested perceptions of extraversion. Although warranting was ...
This review examined evidence regarding computer- or web-based interventions to increase preadole... more This review examined evidence regarding computer- or web-based interventions to increase preadolescent and adolescent physical activity. Today's youth are less active and more overweight than their counterparts from 25 years ago. Overweight youth tend to become overweight adults with weight-related maladies, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Interventions to increase physical activity that reach a large audience are needed. Computer- and web-based physical activity interventions are an appealing means to influence physical activity in preadolescents and adolescents. However, their effectiveness must be determined. The following electronic databases were searched for studies published from 1998 through 2010: CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, SportDISCUS and Proquest. A systemic review was conducted. Fourteen randomized control trials or quasi-experimental studies were reviewed to: (1) determine the effect of computer- or web-based interventions on increasing physical activity and/or improving body mass index, weight, percent body fat or waist circumference as a result of increasing physical activity; and (2) examine if additional components associated with these interventions increased success. Although most interventions demonstrated statistically significant increases in physical activity or positive health changes related to physical activity, findings were small or short-lived. The value of conducting the interventions at school, using a theory or model as a framework, and supplementing with individual tailoring and parental involvement, is discussed. Computer- and web-based interventions can promote physical activity among preadolescents and adolescents, particularly in schools. However, further efforts are needed to sustain positive changes.
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