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The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of combining implementation intentions (II) and regulatory fit in the context of two important health goals: increasing leisure time physical activity and decreasing leisure time sedentary behaviour. Implementation intentions specify exactly how, when, and where a behaviour will occur and can be an effective method of increasing goal enactment. Regulatory fit occurs when a goal or strategy used to achieve the goal matches an individual’s regulatory orientation. University students (N = 180) were randomly assigned to a goal (increase activity/decrease screen time) and an experimental condition (II/non-II). Participants formed a goal to increase their physical activity or decrease their screen time over the following four weeks according to their random assignment. Participants’ commitment to their goal was monitored over the course of the study. The II group also formed a detailed plan regarding how they would accomplish their goal. Regulatory fit was determined based on group assignment and score on the regulatory focus questionnaire. Physical activity and screen time were assessed with self-report questionnaires. Follow-up occurred online four weeks after baseline. Data were analyzed separately by goal type using linear regressions to examine the effects of regulatory fit, experimental condition, and goal commitment on the behaviour variables. The regulatory fit manipulation was not successful. Among those with the physical activity goal, no significant effects emerged for the experimental variables. Among those with the screen time goal and in the fit, II group, stronger goal commitment tended to be associated with increased participation in moderate physical activity, β = .17, t(22) = .94, p = .36. Also, participants who set II for the screen time goal and were committed to this goal tended to report less screen time than participants with lower goal commitment (β = -.40, t(69) = -2.05, p = .05). Findings provide preliminary insight into the effectiveness of II and the importance of goal commitment in interventions aiming to reduce sedentary behaviour. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-07-02 11:32:18.716

This thesis aimed to describe the conditions under which transfer of training would occur and the processes that are involved in the transfer of training to the workplace. Two studies were conducted that assessed the individual, situational, and training design factors that impacted on the transfer of training to the workplace. Study 1 examined the influence of individual and situational factors on the achievement of trainees’ transfer goals. Trainees’ goals for transfer and their commitment to those transfer goals were found to act as mediators of the influence of self-efficacy, motivation, and situational constraints on transfer goal achievement. This result supported previous research that has shown that the impact of personal and situational factors on performance is mediated by the personal goal level and level of goal commitment (Wofford, Goodwin & Premack, 1992). Study 2 was based on a model of the determinants of training transfer proposed by Thayer and Teachout (1995). The model was modified to focus on the determinants of trainees’ transfer implementation intentions and implementation activities. Climate for transfer was assessed prior to training commencing and was found to influence pre-training levels of self-efficacy. However, positive and negative affect also influenced pre-training levels of both self-efficacy and motivation, and the two climate for transfer factors (Positive and Negative Work Climate) were found to influence positive and negative affectivity, respectively. It was concluded that climate for transfer does impact direct and indirectly on pre-training levels of self-efficacy and motivation. A second structural model found that pre-training self-efficacy is a strong determinant of the learning that occurs during training, and the level of post-training self-efficacy. Post-training self-efficacy is a strong determinant of transfer implementation intentions, which in turn were a strong determinant of implementation activities. Implementation activities were positively related to transfer success. Separate structural models were developed to assess the impact of in-training transfer enhancing activities on learning, post-training self-efficacy, transfer implementation intentions, and implementation activities. Self-control cues, relapse prevention activities, and goal setting (when assessed separately) were found to positively influence post-training self-efficacy and implementation intentions. Relapse prevention activities and goal setting (when assessed separately) were also found to positively influence implementation activities. The results strongly supported the modified model of training transfer that was presented. It was also concluded that situational factors do exert an indirect influence on the transfer process, apart from simply influencing what trainees are able to do after training has completed (Mathieu & Martineau, 1997, Quiñones, 1997).

The problem of rising temperatures and climate change is of great importance to all life. It has been made a global target by the UN and 194 countries has signed the Paris agreement which states a goal of keeping average global temperature raises two degrees below pre-industrial temperatures. Despite this, it is not clear what needs to be done. One thing for sure is that greenhouse gas emissions and ways to lessen them must be communicated in a concrete way in order to influence people and help fight climate change. This study explored how carbon budgets could be a tool for making greenhouse gas emissions less of an abstract concept. The study also examined how the implementation intentions-model could be used for increasing motivation in implementing behaviours in order to motivate reducing emissions of students. The focus of the study was to motivate participants to decrease consumption of aerial transportation and meat as these were ruled as important sources of emission for students. The study showed statistically significant results of whether these methods can be used in influencing participants behaviours. / Problem med klimatförändringar är av större vikt än någonsin tidigare för allt liv på jorden. FN har gjort bekämpning av klimatförändringar till ett av sina globala mål och 194 länder har skrivit under Paris-avtalet och dess mål att hålla temperaturökningen motsvara de under två grader förindustriella temperaturer. Att motivera folk till att minska sina utsläpp är ett viktigt steg i kampen mot klimatförändringar, men hur det ska gå till har inte konkretiserats. Denna studie utforskar hur koldioxidbudgetar skulle kunna vara ett verktyg för att omvandla utsläppen av växthusgaser till ett mindre abstrakt koncept. Studien utforskade även hur implementation intention-modellen kunde användas för att öka studenters motivation att implementera nya beteende för att minska sina utsläpp. Studiens fokus var att motivera deltagarna att minska sin konsumtion av kött och långväga transport med flyg då dessa är stora utsläppskällor. Studien har kunnat visa statistiskt signifikant resultat om hur dessa metoder kan användas för att påverka deltagarnas medvetenhet om sina utsläpp.

Maladaptive habits, such as substance use, that are highly ingrained and automatized behaviors with negative long-term health consequences need effective interventions to promote change towards more healthful behaviors. Implementation intentions, the structured linking of critical situations and alternative, healthier responses, have been shown to improve health-benefiting behaviors such as eating more fruits and vegetables and being more physically active (Sheeran, Milne, Webb, and Gollwitzer, 2005). Here, a laboratory analogue for smoking relapse and a pilot clinical trial of alcohol use are assessed using implementation intention interventions to reduce these health risk behaviors. In Study 1, heavy smokers completed a smoking resistance task that is a candidate analogue for smoking relapse. Participants were exposed to an in-laboratory implementation intention and/or monetary incentive condition during each of four experimental sessions. The combined implementation intention and monetary incentive condition resulted in the greatest delay to smoking initiation. In Study 2, individuals with alcohol use disorder completed an active or control implementation intention treatment condition. Remotely, both treatment groups received a daily ecological momentary intervention, thrice daily biologic breath alcohol ecological momentary assessments, and once daily self-report ecological momentary assessment of alcohol consumption during the intervention period. The active implementation intention group was associated with a greater reduction in alcohol consumption compared to the control group. Together, these studies provide experimental and initial clinical evidence for implementation intentions, in conjunction with other effective treatments (Study 1) and technological advancements (Study 2), to intervene on and reduce substance use. This project is the first to use implementation intentions in a laboratory evaluation of smoking resistance and in an initial clinical trial to reduce alcohol consumption in a naturalistic community sample using both ecological momentary assessments and ecological momentary interventions. / Ph. D. / The following studies provide evidence for the use of implementation intentions, a planning-based intervention, to reduce health risk behaviors. Implementation intentions are structured if-then statements that help individuals to identify critical situations where health risk behaviors are likely and to predetermine alternative and healthier responses when these situations are encountered. In the first study, nicotine-deprived cigarette smokers completed a laboratory task where they were asked to resist smoking. The participants were exposed to different conditions (implementation intentions and monetary incentives) to help them to resist smoking. The study found that the combination of both implementation intentions and monetary incentives were associated with the longest time to smoking reinitiation; however, the combination of both interventions was not significantly greater than monetary incentives alone. The second study employed implementation intentions as a strategy to reduce alcohol use over a two-week period in individuals with alcohol use disorder. The study found that implementation intentions reduced the amount of alcohol consumed on days where participants were drinking and these reductions were maintained at one-month follow-up. Together, these two studies provide support for translational work that evaluates interventions in the laboratory and then also in clinical trials. Furthermore, these studies show the trans-disease applications of interventions such as implementation intentions across health risk behaviors.

Implementation intentions have been shown to improve prospective memory performance among a variety of populations. In two studies, the effectiveness of implementation intentions was examined among young and older adults. In Experiment 1 64 young adults were placed into one of four instructional conditions (Read-Only, Imagery, Implementation Intention, Combined) before completing a laboratory-based prospective memory task. Results reveal that prospective memory performance improves under each of the three experimental conditions, but that there is no additional benefit of combining imagery with implementation intentions. In a novel finding, imagery alone produced improvements comparable to implementation intentions. Experiment 2 investigated the effect of implementation intentions among 32 older adults, who were characterized as possessing high- or low-frontal function based on neuropsychological test performance. Implementation intentions improved prospective memory among both groups, regardless of frontal function. The results of these studies suggest that implementation intentions can improve prospective memory among both young and older adults. Importantly, these findings reveal that imagery alone may be an effective means of improving prospective memory. Additionally, that implementation intentions improved prospective memory among older adults, regardless of frontal function, raises important questions about potential mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of implementation intentions.

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The ongoing opioid crisis presents a significant public health challenge particularly for people who use opioids (PWUO). Naloxone is an opioid antagonist crucial to reducing opioid overdose mortality. Inconsistencies exist among PWUO in obtaining, carrying, discussing, and administering naloxone. Using sequential mixed methods, this study was aimed at investigating the use of implementation intentions on naloxone use among PWUO. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 83 PWUO to gather individual experiences with using naloxone and contextual details regarding its use. An essentialist thematic analysis with inductive coding revealed valuable insights into where, for whom, and when naloxone is implemented. The analysis identified major themes such as caring for others' needs, knowledge gaps, reinforcement through overdose experiences, duality of overdose and compassion, and stigma. Minor themes related to syringe services program implementation and drug use were identified. Building on these qualitative findings a quantitative analysis determined the impact of implementation intentions on naloxone implementation. Participants were randomly assigned to develop implementation intentions or goal intentions for the use of naloxone. Follow-up surveys assessed changes in participants' intentions to obtain, carry, discuss, and administer naloxone and their actual implementation over a 6-month period. At the 3-month follow-up the experimental condition exhibited statistically significant positive intentions to obtain naloxone and engage in discussions about naloxone in social contexts of drug use. Changes in the magnitude of naloxone implementation were observed at the 3- and 6-month timepoints. Specifically, the self-reported discussion of naloxone showed noticeable changes in implementation frequency over time. This suggests that while implementation intentions may not have statistically significant effects on the use of naloxone it had some influence on the frequency of discussing naloxone prior to drug use. This work makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature because of its attempt to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior and implementation intentions in a novel way. Though the experimental hypothesis was not supported statistically significant observations were made for some behaviors at the 3-month follow-up. The pragmatic nature of the setting enhances the relevance of the findings and provides valuable insights for future interventions supporting PWUO. / Doctor of Philosophy / The ongoing crisis of opioid addiction poses a significant public health challenge particularly for individuals who use opioids. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses and it plays a crucial role in saving lives. People who use opioids often face difficulties in accessing, carrying, discussing, and using naloxone consistently. This study was aimed at investigating the use of naloxone by employing qualitative and quantitative methods. We conducted interviews with 83 individuals who use opioids to explore their experiences and gather insights into naloxone use. These interviews provided valuable information about when, where, and for whom naloxone is used. Several important themes emerged including the significance of helping others, knowledge gaps, the influence of personal experiences, the conflict between the fear of overdose and caring for others, and the stigma associated with drug use. We investigated the impact of a specific approach called "implementation intentions" in improving naloxone use. Participants were randomly assigned to create specific plans or general goals for naloxone use. Through surveys conducted over a 6-month period we examined changes in participants' intentions and actions related to naloxone use. Although the specific approach did not yield significant improvements, we observed changes in how people discussed naloxone over time. This study contributes to the existing research by introducing innovative ideas to support positive behavioral changes among individuals who use opioids. The real-world setting in which the study took place enhances the applicability of the findings and offers valuable insights for future programs supporting individuals who use opioids.

OBJECTIVE: The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and implementation intentions have been used effectively to explain and influence diet in middle-class, but not exclusively low SES populations. Furthermore, dietary research among low SES populations requires intake measures that are feasible and acceptable. Using three lines of research we evaluated 1) the utility of the TPB to explain fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, 2) efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of an implementation intention intervention to improve FV intake, and 3) agreement, feasibility, and acceptability of 2 dietary intake measures of FV intake in low SES women. DESIGN: Participants were adult female residents of Boston Public Housing. Study 1: Using a cross-sectional survey (n=144), we evaluated the utility of the TPB to explain FV intake. Study 2: We conducted a pilot randomized controlled implementation intention intervention to promote FV intake (n=20), and semi-structured interviews to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of the intervention (n=8). Study 3: We administered 2 24-hour recalls, a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and structured interviews (n=36) to determine agreement, feasibility and acceptability dietary intake measures. RESULTS: Study 1: The TPB construct perceived behavioral control significantly predicted intention to consume FV (OR=2.55,95%CI:1.23,5.27) and with BMI, FV intake (βPBC=0.37,t(1)=2.29,p=0.0235; βBMI= -0.02,t(1)= -2.41,p=0.0174; R2=.08,F[2,130]=5.72,p=0.0042). Study 2: Feasibility goals were met for retention and days to follow up, but not recruitment. Participants characterized the intervention as enjoyable. Limited hypothesis testing showed no significant increase in mean FV intake within (control (n=11):+0.50, 95% CI:-0.56,1.58 servings; intervention (n=9):+0.17, 95% CI:-0.85,1.20 servings) or between groups (control group +0.33, 95% CI:-1.06,1.73 servings). Study 3: Feasibility targets were met for contacts and retention, but not for enrollment. There was no significant association between 24-hr recall and FFQ measures for fruit (r=0.32, p=0.09) or vegetable (r=0.16, p=0.40) intake and no marked preference for method (35% FFQ; 31% 24-hour recall). CONCLUSION: The TPB may be useful to explain FV intake. Although acceptable, an implementation intention intervention may not be feasible or effective to influence FV intake. We demonstrated limited feasibility and association but generally equal preference between dietary measures of FV intake in low SES women.