Working Memory in Overweight Boys during Physical Education Classes

This study examined the effect of small-sided football games (SSFG) and small-sided Ultimate Frisbee games (SSUFG) on working memory, response times, and feeling mood of boys with overweight. Twenty-eight boys (age 12.23 ± 1.58 years) participated in two trials during physical education lessons (20-min SSFG and 20-min SSUFG) in a counterbalanced, randomized crossover design. The response times and feeling mood were measured for all participants post-exercise through the Sternberg paradigm and feeling scale. For the response times, the paired samples t-test revealed a significantly better reaction time after SSUFG at the "One item level" of the Sternberg paradigm (p = 0.014, Hedges' g = 0.27, small effect) and (p = 0.010, Hedges' g = 0.74, medium effect), at "Three item level" (p = 0.000106, Hedges' g = 1.88, very large effect). The SSFG also showed vigor at the "Five item level" (p = 0.047, Hedges' g = 0.61, medium effect). For the feeling mood, the feeling score was significantly higher after the SSUFG session than the SSFG session and the increase in feeling scores observed after switching from SSFG to SSUFG was significantly different (p < 0.001) from the decrease observed in feeling scores after switching from SSUFG to SSFG. Therefore, the results of the study allow the teacher to introduce new sports and reflect on the motor tasks he or she proposes for boys with overweight during physical education classes.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 Pandemic among the Public in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) models are often used by researchers in the field of public health to explore people’s healthy behaviors. Therefore, this study mainly explored the relationships among participants’ sociodemographic status, COVID-19 knowledge, affective attitudes, and preventive behaviors. Method: This study adopted an online survey, involving a total of 136 males and 204 females, and used a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationships between variables including gender, age, COVID-19 knowledge, positive affective attitudes (emotional wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, and social wellbeing), negative affective attitudes (negative self-perception and negative perceptions of life), and preventive behaviors (hygiene habits, reducing public activities, and helping others to prevent the epidemic). Results: The majority of participants in the study were knowledgeable about COVID-19. The mean COVID-19 knowledge score was 12.86 (SD = 1.34, range: 7−15 with a full score of 15), indicating a high level of knowledge. However, the key to decide whether participants adopt COVID-19 preventive behaviors was mainly their affective attitudes, especially positive affective attitudes (β = 0.18−0.25, p< 0.01), rather than COVID-19 disease knowledge (β = −0.01−0.08, p > 0.05). In addition, the sociodemographic status of the participants revealed obvious differences in the preventive behaviors; females had better preventive behaviors than males such as cooperating with the epidemic prevention hygiene habits (t = −5.08, p< 0.01), reducing public activities (t = −3.00, p< 0.01), and helping others to prevent the epidemic (t = −1.97, p< 0.05), while the older participants were more inclined to adopt preventive behaviors including epidemic prevention hygiene habits (β = 0.18, p = 0.001, R2 = 0.03), reducing public activities (β = 0.35, p< 0.001, R2 = 0.13), and helping others to prevent the epidemic (β = 0.27, p< 0.001, R2 = 0.07). Conclusions: Having adequate COVID-19 knowledge was not linked to higher involvement in precautionary behaviors. Attitudes toward COVID-19 may play a more critical function in prompting individuals to undertake preventive behaviors, and different positive affective attitudes had different predictive relationships with preventive behaviors.

The impact of hotel attributes, well-being perception, and attitudes on brand loyalty: Examining the moderating role of COVID-19 pandemic

This research sought to investigate the relationships between hotel attributes, well-being perceptions, attitudes, and brand loyalty in the hotel context considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study's data analyses revealed how tangible and intangible hotel attributes improved individuals' well-being perceptions before and during the COVID-19, as well as how these perceptions in turn influenced cognitive attitudes, affective attitudes, and brand loyalty during these periods. Furthermore, the moderating role of COVID-19 was identified in the link between well-being perceptions and cognitive attitudes and in the association between cognitive attitudes and affective attitudes. In light of these findings, a discussion and insightful implications for both theory and practice were provided. Finally, the limitations of the study and future research directions were addressed.

Attitude stability as a moderator of the relationships between cognitive and affective attitudes and behaviour

Temporal stability is assumed to be an important basis for attitudes being strong predictors of behaviour, but this notion has been little tested. The current research reports tests of temporal stability in moderating the attitude-behaviour relationship, specifically in relation to cognitive attitude (i.e., evaluation implied by cognitions about an attitude object) and affective attitude (i.e., evaluation implied by feelings about the attitude object). In three prospective studies (Study 1: physical activity, N = 909; Study 2: multiple health behaviours, N = 281; Study 3: smoking initiation, N = 3,371), temporal stability is shown to moderate the cognitive and affective attitudes to subsequent behaviour relationship in two-, three-, and four-wave designs utilizing between- (Studies 1 and 3) and within-participants (Study 2) analyses and controlling for past behaviour. Effects were more consistent for affective attitudes (when affective and cognitive attitudes were considered simultaneously and past behaviour controlled). Moderation effects were attenuated, but remained significant, in three- and four-wave compared with two-wave designs. The findings underline the role of temporal stability as an indicator of strength and confirm the relative importance of affective over cognitive (components of) attitudes for predicting behaviour.

Predicting smoking behavior: intention and future self-continuity among Austrians

Smoking is a major public health problem in Austria, but relevant research and intervention is limited. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the present study aimed to test the model utility in an Austrian sample. As future self-continuity is likely to impact on health behavior, we also hypothesized an extended TPB with future self-continuity could further explain the variance in smoking. Using a prospective design, 94 current smokers (74.5% women; M_age = 24.27 years; 61.7% daily smokers) from a university in South Austria completed the baseline and follow-up survey (one month after the baseline). Consistent with the TPB, intention and perceived behavioral control (PBC) significantly predicted smoking behavior; affective attitude and PBC were significantly associated with smoking intention. In contrast, cognitive attitude and subjective norm were unrelated to smoking intention. As hypothesized, the TPB explained 42% variance of smoking behavior and 31% variance of smoking intention. Participants' future self-continuity further explained the variance of smoking behavior. Our study demonstrates the utility of the TPB in understanding Austrian smoking behavior. The role of psychological perception of future self among smokers has been highlighted. Future smoking intervention may target PBC, affective attitude, as well as a life-span perspective.

Predicting long-term healthy eating behaviour: understanding the role of cognitive and affective attitudes

OBJECTIVES

There are few tests of the ability of cognitive and affective attitudes to predict long-term performance of health behaviours. We assessed relationships between cognitive and affective attitudes and healthy eating behaviour over periods of 4, 6 and 10 years. Design: A prospective survey measuring cognitive and affective attitudes at baseline (T1) and 6 years (T2), and self-report healthy eating behaviour at baseline (T1), 6 (T2) and 10 (T3) years later in a sample of UK adults recruited through General Practice (N = 285). Results: When considered simultaneously, affective attitude (T1 and T2) predicted healthy eating behaviour cross-sectionally (at T1 and T2) and prospectively (over 4 [T2-T3], 6 [T1-T2] and 10 [T1-T3] years) whereas cognitive attitude did not. Stability of affective attitude (T1-T2) moderated the affective attitude-behaviour relationship in some (T1-T2, T1-T3), but not all (T2-T3), prospective analyses. Change in affective attitude, but not cognitive attitude (T1-T2), predicted change in behaviour over 6 (T1-T2) and 10 (T1-T3) years. Conclusions: The findings indicate that affective attitudes can be significant predictors of healthy eating behaviour over prolonged time periods suggesting they may be useful targets for interventions designed to produce long-term change in eating behaviour.

Energy-Saving Behaviours in Workplaces: Application of an Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Individual energy-saving behaviours are crucial for reducing energy consumption, and research on the determinants of these behaviours has been increasing over the last decade. The aim of this study is to explore the determinants of two specific behaviours: 'switching off non-essential lights' and 'completely switching off electronic devices'. An extended model of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) has been used as the theoretical research framework. The extension was implemented by considering two components (affective and cognitive) of the attitude towards these behaviours and then adding habit as a new variable. A two-waves study was conducted in which a convenience sample of Italian workers completed a questionnaire measuring the TPB constructs in relation to the two energy-saving behaviours (Time 1). The participants then completed another questionnaire a month later to assess self-reports of these behaviours (Time 2). The inclusion of habit improved the predictive power of the TPB, and the extended model was found to explain 65.5% and 76.1% of the variance in intentions and 16.2% and 22.9% of the variance in behaviours. Cognitive attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and habit were significantly related to intentions, and perceived behavioural control was the strongest predictor. Habit moderated some relationships between the TPB constructs and intentions. Behaviours were associated directly only with intentions. The results of this study support the efficacy of the TPB model in predicting target behaviours; they also suggest some strategies that can be followed to promote these energy-saving behaviours.

Changing Sedentary Behavior in the Office: A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing the Effect of Affective, Instrumental, and Self-Regulatory Messaging on Sitting

BACKGROUND

Although avoiding sedentary behavior has many health benefits, adults often sit for long periods at work. The purpose of this study was to compare affective attitude, instrumental attitude, and self-regulation messaging interventions on sitting in the workplace.

METHODS

Using a cluster randomised controlled trial design, participants (N = 116) were assigned (by workplace) to: (a) instrumental, (b) affective, (c) self-regulation, or (d) control (nutrition information) groups. Measurements were taken online at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post-baseline. The interventions comprised three presentations delivered following baseline, week 4, and week 8 assessments. The primary outcome was self-reported average hours of sitting per day at work (registered trial number: NCT04082624).

RESULTS

Controlling for baseline sitting, overall, the affective group sat for less time than the instrumental and self-regulation groups. Also, at week 4, the affective group sat for less time than the instrumental and self-regulation groups and, at week 8, the affective group sat for less time than the self-regulation and control groups. There were no differences between the groups at week 12.

CONCLUSIONS

This investigation showed that workplace interventions targeting affective attitude can lead to less sitting time in the short term. Future research should explore additional strategies to minimise sedentary behavior in the long term.

Experimental manipulation of affective judgments about physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of adults

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the current effectiveness of physical activity (PA) interventions to change affective judgements (AJ) and subsequent behaviour and explore potential moderators. Eligible studies were published in a peer-reviewed English journal and included an experimental design in the PA domain with a measure of AJ as the dependent variable, among adults (>17 years). Literature searches concluded in July 2017 using 11 common databases, with additional hand searching conducted in February 2018. The search yielded 32 independent studies. Random-effects meta-analysis showed positive changes in AJ favouring intervention over control groups, g = 0.43 (95% CI = 0.26-0.60). These changes predicted (β = 0.64) positive changes in PA, g = 0.38 (95% CI = 0.16-0.60), among a sub-sample (k = 14) of studies that also provided behavioural data. Moderator analyses showed the effects were inflated by potential publication bias, participant gender, baseline PA and focus of the intervention. AJ may show change from intervention but larger sample studies are required to obtain a more reliable effect size estimate. Further, few studies have employed behaviour change techniques that would align with the theoretical reasons for changes in AJ, so our evidence for practical intervention content is limited.