Master of Public Health / Department of Kinesiology / Brandon Irwin / Purpose: Face-to-face group dynamics-based (GDB) programs have been shown to be effective in promoting group cohesion and physical activity (PA). Recent evidence suggests that GDB principles can be successfully translated to web-based applications to impact group cohesion. The social nature of such applications allows for interactions to occur between friends and strangers alike, potentially moderating the effects of such GDB applications. Optimal group composition within GDB web applications has yet to be determined. The present study examines the moderating effects of group composition in a GDB application on group cohesion and PA. Methods: Participants (n = 166) were randomized into same-sex pairs and then randomly assigned to an experimental condition: stranger (no app), stranger (using app), friend (using app) or individual control. Participants in all conditions performed two sets of planking exercises. In between sets, those in partnered conditions interacted with their partner using a GDB social media app, where they participated in a series of team-building activities. The main dependent variables were group cohesion and physical activity, calculated as the total persistence during Block 2, controlling for Block 1 persistence. Results: Results indicate that the group integration dimensions of cohesion were higher in groups that used the application than those that did not (GI-T: p= .001; GI-S: p= .004). Friends that used the app reported greater cohesion across all dimensions than strangers that did the same (ATG-T: p= .006; ATG-S: p= .003; GI-T: p= .001; GI-S: p< .001). There was also a significant difference in PA (p=.004) between the two app-using conditions. However, there was no significant difference in PA between app using conditions and strangers that did not use the app (p= .495). Conclusions: Group cohesion can be enhanced through the use of an online GDB application. Using an online GDB application with a friend is associated with higher levels of cohesion. Further research is necessary to identify effective online GDB applications for impacting physical activity and cohesion in field settings.

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En väl fungerande grupp kan vara oerhört attraktivt att se på men det verkligt intressanta är att förstå hur gruppen tar sig till det stadiet där de fungerar tillsammans som en enhet och presterar bra. För att tillämpa metoder att nå dit finns tillvägagångssätt som Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) och en allmän strävan efter att erhålla en perfekt gruppdynamik. Studien ämnade undersöka om samspelet mellan SHRM och gruppdynamik ökar produktiviteten i en organisation inom hotell- och restaurangbranschen. Studien grundades på fem vetenskapliga artiklar som granskades, analyserades och sammanfattades. Analysen av artiklarna redovisades i resultatdelen i uppsatsen. Där behandlades bland annat studier om SHRM och att sammanhållning visat sig ha en positiv effekt på grupprestation. Från resultatet fördes en diskussion om huruvida det var gynnsamt för en organisation inom hotell- och restaurangbranschen att dra nytta av lärandet om hur individer fungerar ihop för att organisationen bättre ska kunna applicera detta för att tillgodose gästens behov och önskemål. Därefter presenterades slutsatsen att samspelet mellan SHRM och gruppdynamik kan öka produktiviteten på ett hotell eller i en restaurang. / B-uppsatser

The study in group dynamics will seek to determine the elements which constitute a group, the methods of group procedure, and the outcomes of the group process. This study seeks to determine how group dynamics can be applied to education.

Despite the variety of literature on ‘adaptation to technology’, the literature still witnesses a gap concerning the concept of adaptation especially about its multi-level nature. Recognizing the multilevel nature of IS adaptation, we rise the challenge of conducting an alternate template analysis of three cases of adaptation to IS in order to provide complementary explanations about the phenomenon. In order to expand the comprehension of the ‘adaptation’ concept, a multi-study dissertation model is adopted. The objective is to examine the adaptation concept on three different levels: the individual, the group level, and the organizational level. This thesis aims at 1) exploring the shaping of individual adaptive actions that knowledge workers engage towards technostress with a focus on the factors that influence their adaptation process; 2) examining the adaptive performance of a group facing an newlyimplemented technology based on the adaptive structuration theory (DeSanctis and Poole 1994) under which were puzzled the concepts of affordances (Leonardi 2011, Leonardi, Huysman et al. 2013) and the structure of usage (Burton-Jones and Straub Jr 2006, Burton-Jones and Gallivan 2007); 3) examining, through an organizational learning lens (Argyris and Schon 1978), the case of an organizational adaptation to environmental technological changes examined within a managerial cognition conceptual framework (Orlikowski and Gash 1994); (Bijker 1987, Bijker 1995). To answer the different research questions, the three studies adopt a qualitative approach falling within a critical realist perspective.

Diss. Linköping : Univ., 2003.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2003.

Physical inactivity is a major cause of disease in the United States and globally. Effective physical activity interventions often use community based approaches due to the demonstrated effectiveness of combining individual and group based behavioral strategies towards encouraging physical activity behaviors and influencing social norms. Such interventions can increase their impact by adopting technology based solutions to facilitate the underlying behavioral strategies. Current technologies for persuading physical activity primarily focus on facilitating the individual level behavioral strategies and de-emphasize the interpersonal aspects. This dissertation focuses on the development and evaluation of technology that is aimed at facilitating group dynamics-based strategies for promoting physical activity within small socially connected teams. This dissertation introduces a multi-component smartwatch-centered system (FitAware) that uses sensors to automatically track physical activity and leverages the advantages of the watch form factor to facilitate both group and individual level behavioral strategies via non-interruptive, glanceable, and frequent feedback updates. This manuscript describes the design and evaluation of FitAware in the context of an 8 week statewide physical activity community-based intervention, culminating in guidelines for system development that have been tested in educational settings. / Ph. D. / Physical inactivity is a major cause of disease around the world. A good way to tackle this challenge is to conduct community-based physical activity interventions because of their effectiveness in the use of both individual and social approaches for influencing behaviors. An important challenge with such interventions is increasing their impact on the communities. Mobile technology can be used as a platform that can help reach more people. Mainstream devices for promoting physical activity focus on facilitating individual level behavioral strategies (e.g., how many steps one walked) and de-emphasize the interpersonal aspects (e.g., how ones steps compare to friend’s steps) which makes them less than optimal for facilitating the social approaches within community interventions. This dissertation focuses on the design, development and evaluation of a system that prioritizes both individual and interpersonal behavioral strategies for promoting physical activity. This work introduces a multi-component smartwatch-centered system (FitAware) that uses sensors to automatically track physical activity and leverages the convenience of the wristwatch information accessibility to facilitate both group and individual level behavioral strategies via non-interruptive, glanceable, and frequent feedback updates. This dissertation describes the design and evaluation of FitAware as part of an 8 week statewide physical activity community-based intervention, culminating in guidelines for system development that have been tested in educational settings.

The use of group dynamics principles such as group goal-setting, distinctiveness and cohesion has been the basis of a burgeoning area of physical activity (PA) promotion. Recent reviews of literature suggest that these interventions are robust and increase PA in a wide variety of populations. Still, a number of questions remain unanswered in the areas of theory development, intervention implementation, and translation of research into practice. This dissertation includes a series of manuscripts that focus on research, theory, and practice of group dynamics interventions intended to promote PA. Within research, a systematic review of literature explores group dynamics-based PA interventions in terms of generalizability (through RE-AIM evaluation) and the degree to which the interventions use research techniques that are more pragmatic (reflect typical practice) or more explanatory (testing under optimal conditions). This exploration is based on an initial review of 17 interventions that employ group dynamics strategies to increase PA, fitness, and/or adherence. The results suggest that this body of literature includes a range of pragmatic and explanatory trials, but still has gaps in reporting related to external validity. Embedded within the context of a PA promotion program for minority women, the second manuscript addresses a theory-based question—to what degree do group-interaction variables (cooperation, communication, and competition) differentially predict group cohesion over time. The results suggest that friendly competition is the strongest and most consistent predictor of different dimensions of group cohesion while task and socially related communication are consistent predictors of task and socially related cohesion, respectively. Two manuscripts are included in addressing the use of group dynamics principles within practice settings. The first practice manuscript details a small pilot study in which obese, limited income women successfully (p<0.05) limited gestational weight gain to the Institute of Medicine (2009) recommendation of 11-20 pounds. This study attempted to integrate a group dynamics approach into a group visit model for pregnant women. The quantitative findings were promising, but qualitative findings indicated a number of difficulties in implementation. The purpose of the final manuscript was to determine the attributes of the program agents consider when deciding to adopt a PA and fruit and vegetable promotion program and their understanding of key strategies related to group dynamics theory. Delivery agents were able to identify key underlying principles and propose adaptations that align with those principles. / Ph. D.

Background: Physical inactivity of the general population is a major public health concern in the US and around the world. Community-based interventions that include evidence-based principles of group dynamics are effective at improving individual-level physical activity behaviors as well as changing social norms for health behaviors. The use of technologies such as smartwatches has a potential to channel and amplify underlying group dynamics principles in such interventions. In order to explore the use of smartwatches for group dynamics-based physical activity interventions, a smartwatch centered system was designed and deployed as part of an eight-week pilot study. Objectives: The primary goal of this study was to explore the degree to which smartwatches effectively channel group dynamics strategies in the context of an eight-week community based physical activity intervention. Methods: In this explanatory mixed-methods study, system usage data were analyzed (e.g., frequency of interaction with smartwatch and smartphone) and participant physical activity (e.g., participant steps tracked by the system). To provide a richer picture of the user experience, use of features, and impact of group dynamics, participants were invited to participate in one-on-one interviews after the pilot program. The group dynamics-based questions centered on the individual’s attraction to the group task and socially as well as the individual’s perception of group integration around the task and as a social unit (i.e., the four dimensions of cohesion). The interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed via an abbreviated grounded theory approach. The system usage data was visually and numerically summarized. Results: Five of the seven participants completed interviews. The interview analysis resulted in 365 meaning units representing 2 themes (related to user experience with devices and manifestations of group dynamic principles), 4 sub-themes and 23 categories. The participants completed 31.3 (SD=2.91) miles per week and engaged with the smartwatch and the Android app 2.6 and 1.5 times a day, respectively. Analysis of interviews and the system usage logs from five participants, reveal sustained engagement with the smartwatch and the smartphone app. The system facilitated self-reflection and awareness in terms of physical activity levels, encouraged interactions with the team members and helped them to stay aware of the daily goals. Additionally, the participants reported habit formation in terms of wearing and using the smartwatch on the daily basis. Implications: This study provides preliminary support that accessible information via the custom smartwatch watchface can be a viable solution for retaining higher participant engagement during group dynamics-based community interventions. Such devices can help expand group-dynamics interventions by making them less depended on in-person delivery methods. / Master of Science / Physical inactivity of the general population is a major public health concern in the US and around the world. Community-based interventions, with group dynamics strategies at the core, are effective at improving individual physical activity behaviors. The use of technologies such as smartwatches has potential to channel and amplify the underlying program principles in such interventions. This work presents a smartwatch-centered system to encourage group cohesion in physical activity interventions, exploring it as part of an eight-week study that revealed participant awareness of group performance through smartwatch interactions.