Future-Oriented Self-Perceptions and Exercise Behavior in Middle-Aged Women

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane E. Whaley
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Possible Selves ◽  
Exercise Behavior ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Exercise Behaviors ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Efficacy Outcome

Future-oriented self-perceptions, or possible selves (Markus & Nurius, 1986), represent how individuals think about their potential and their future. To explore the cognitive processes involved in the decision to exercise, the possible selves of 203 middle-aged women from a university community, representing a range of exercise behaviors, were examined. Comparisons were made of possible selves identified by participants across levels of exercise behavior, and the ability of possible selves to discriminate exercisers from nonexercisers was examined. Group differences were most evident in possible selves related to body image, with hoped-for and feared selves more likely to be described by inactive individuals than by their more active counterparts. The self-regulatory mechanisms of self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and importance discriminated nonexercisers from exercisers, particularly long-term exercisers. Findings support the conclusion that possible selves related to exercise is a useful construct for examining the process of behavioral change and for planning future exercise interventions.

scholarly journals Long-term Effects of Male Reading Tutors, Choice of Text and Computer-based Text on Boys’ Reading Achievement

2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Laura Sokal
Keyword(s):  
Reading Achievement ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Struggling Readers ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Reading Tutors ◽  
Reading Materials ◽  
Computer Based

Sixty-two inner-city Canadian boys identified as struggling readers participated in a 22-week intervention that examined the effects of male reading tutors, computer-based texts, and choice of reading materials. Immediately after the intervention, boys demonstrated between-group changes to reader self-perceptions and gendered views of reading but no between-group differences in achievement. Two years after the intervention’s completion, the boys’ reading comprehension achievement scores were again examined and compared to 62 non-participating boys matched at the time of the study’s onset. Results showed no significant differences between the two groups. Of the boys who participated in the intervention, working with male reading tutors and with computer-based texts did not result in higher achievement than working with female reading tutors or with print-based texts. However, boys who were not given a choice in their reading materials demonstrated reading achievement six months ahead of the boys who were given a choice. 

Promoting Health and Physical Function Among Cancer Survivors: Potential for Prevention and Questions That Remain

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (32) ◽  
pp. 5125-5131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Demark-Wahnefried ◽  
Bernardine M. Pinto ◽  
Ellen R. Gritz
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Cancer survivors are at increased risk, not only for progressive and recurrent disease, but also other cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and functional decline. Lifestyle interventions to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors, and smoking cessation, have the potential to improve the overall health and quality of life of this vulnerable population. Studies on overall health and physical function from 1966 and beyond regarding the impact of behavioral interventions that used randomized and controlled designs were identified through MEDLINE and PubMed searches. Published reports currently exist for 22 exercise interventions, 11 diet-related interventions (excluding those limited to dietary supplements or single nutrients), two diet and exercise interventions, and 10 behavioral-based smoking cessation interventions. Although many interventions have been successful in promoting behavioral change and have resulted in improvements in various health-related outcomes, more research is needed to determine the key components of interventions that are able to produce the greatest behavioral change and the most favorable health-related benefits. The oncology care provider can play a pivotal role in improving the long-term health of cancer survivors by (1) being aware of opportunities to encourage healthful behaviors (ie, smoking cessation, weight control, and increased physical activity); (2) vigilantly tracking long-term effects among cancer survivors and exploring whether they are amenable to intervention; (3) staying abreast of current health behavior guidelines for cancer survivors and existing resources for professional and patient education; and (4) supporting and contributing to efforts aimed at primary and tertiary prevention research.

Are Thoughts About the Future Associated With Perceptions in the Present?: Optimism, Possible Selves, and Self-Perceptions of Aging

2020 ◽  
pp. 009141502098188
Author(s):  
Shelbie G. Turner ◽  
Karen Hooker
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Possible Selves ◽  
Exploratory Analysis ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
The Future ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Linear Regressions

Despite much literature pointing to the saliency of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) to aging processes, limited research offers empirical analysis on what shapes SPA. In order to identify possible antecedents to SPA, we conducted an exploratory analysis to analyze whether two future-oriented constructs—optimism and self-efficacy associated with possible selves—were associated with SPA. We ran hierarchical linear regressions, with optimism and self-efficacy of possible selves predicting SPA among 244 middle-aged and older adults. Higher optimism, higher self-efficacy to achieve hoped-for selves, and higher self-efficacy to avoid feared selves were associated with higher overall SPA. Results from our study suggest that how someone appraises their future older self impacts how they perceive their current older self.

From Supervised to Unsupervised Exercise: Factors Associated with Exercise Adherence

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam C. Morey ◽  
Patricia M. Dubbert ◽  
Martha E. Doyle ◽  
Helga MacAller ◽  
Gail M. Crowley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Exercise Adherence ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Home Based

Getting older adults to initiate and maintain long-term exercise is an important public health mandate. This study is an analysis of a clinical trial of 112 sedentary adults, age 65–90 years, randomly assigned to 1 of 2 exercise interventions. We examined predictors and patterns of adherence of the 6-month home-based component of the trial. Telephone follow-up and diaries were used to assess adherence. Adherence to weekend exercise during the supervised phase of the program was the strongest predictor of subsequent home-based adherence. Adherence appeared stable throughout the intervention, indicating that adherence or nonadherence was established from the outset. The authors conclude that nonadherence can be identified early in the behavioral-change process. Future studies should focus on developing strategies for adults with chronic illnesses, depressive symptoms, and functional limitations who are nonadherent early on as they initiate and attempt to maintain exercise.

Comparison of Auditory, Language, Memory, and Attention Abilities in Children With and Without Listening Difficulties

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-727
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
Naveen K. Nagaraj ◽  
Alexander V. Sergeev ◽  
Natalie J. Benafield
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Objectives School-age children with and without parent-reported listening difficulties (LiD) were compared on auditory processing, language, memory, and attention abilities. The objective was to extend what is known so far in the literature about children with LiD by using multiple measures and selective novel measures across the above areas. Design Twenty-six children who were reported by their parents as having LiD and 26 age-matched typically developing children completed clinical tests of auditory processing and multiple measures of language, attention, and memory. All children had normal-range pure-tone hearing thresholds bilaterally. Group differences were examined. Results In addition to significantly poorer speech-perception-in-noise scores, children with LiD had reduced speed and accuracy of word retrieval from long-term memory, poorer short-term memory, sentence recall, and inferencing ability. Statistically significant group differences were of moderate effect size; however, standard test scores of children with LiD were not clinically poor. No statistically significant group differences were observed in attention, working memory capacity, vocabulary, and nonverbal IQ. Conclusions Mild signal-to-noise ratio loss, as reflected by the group mean of children with LiD, supported the children's functional listening problems. In addition, children's relative weakness in select areas of language performance, short-term memory, and long-term memory lexical retrieval speed and accuracy added to previous research on evidence-based areas that need to be evaluated in children with LiD who almost always have heterogenous profiles. Importantly, the functional difficulties faced by children with LiD in relation to their test results indicated, to some extent, that commonly used assessments may not be adequately capturing the children's listening challenges. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12808607

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