<p>Higgins' regulatory focus theory (1997) postulates two cognitive/motivational systems for pursuing desired end states: the promotion and prevention systems. The theory predicts that failure in each system is discriminantly associated with dysphoric and anxious affect respectively; and that significant failure in these systems creates vulnerability to depression and anxiety. This study tested these hypotheses among adolescents who took part in the longitudinal Wisconsin Study of Families and Work. We found partial support for the theory's predictions. Specifically, the original adult Selves Questionnaire (SQ), which was administered at age 13, did not demonstrate the expected discriminant associations with dysphoric and anxious affect and symptoms. However, the Selves Questionnaire - Adolescent Version, which was administered at age 15, yielded partial support for the theory. Ideal self-discrepancy was discriminantly associated with depressive affect but ought self-discrepancy was not discriminantly associated with anxious affect. However, feared self-discrepancy was discriminantly associated with anxious affect, which adds to the literature suggesting that feared self-discrepancy might be a better construct to use in measuring prevention failure among adolescents. The association between self-discrepancy and affect was found cross-sectionally but not longitudinally. The study also tested recently formulated predictions of regulatory focus theory which state that significant failure in one regulatory system is likely to negatively impact the other system (Klenk, Strauman, & Higgins, 2011). No support for this prediction was found. Implications of the findings, and aspects of the study that may have reduced our ability to test the hypotheses of interest, are discussed.</p> / Dissertation

Objectives: Theoretical models have helped conceptualise how individuals appraise and make sense of chronic illness and its psychological impact. Little attention has been given to the impact of uncertainty on this process. The objective was to investigate the relationship between levels of uncertainty, illness representations, coping, psychological and physical functioning in two chronic illnesses. The Self-Regulatory Model (SRM, Leventhal, Meyer & Nerenz, 1980) was used as a theoretical framework. Design: A cross-sectional design was used. It was hypothesised that a clear medical diagnosis would reduce levels of uncertainty and increase illness representations regarding control of symptoms. It was also hypothesised that high levels of uncertainty would independently predict increased psychological distress. Method: Patients suffering from chronic spinal pain and rheumatoid arthritis were recruited from local clinical departments. The levels of uncertainty, illness representations, coping strategies, mood and physical functioning of 85 participants were assessed using standardised questionnaires. Results: Chronic pain patients were found to have greater levels of uncertainty and psychological distress than rheumatoid arthritis patients. Rheumatoid arthritis patients had stronger beliefs about control of their condition. Uncertainty was not found to be a significant independent predictor of anxiety or depression. However, there appeared to be a degree of overlap between the variables of uncertainty and control beliefs. Conclusions: The findings highlight a complex relationship between the aspects of the SRM and uncertainty, with many components impacting on each other. Although levels of uncertainty were not found to be predictive of psychological distress, it is an area that warrants further investigation in order to understand how patients manage uncertainty. Within a clinical setting, issues of uncertainty should be addressed at all levels of care, maximising the patient's control beliefs, reducing the impact of uncertainty on their cognitive, emotional and physical functioning.

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This study sought to better understand the impact of feedback on performance by examining how regulatory focus and message framing potentially interact to influence recipient's attitudes towards and recall of performance feedback recommendations. Participants were 221 undergraduates. Participant's chronic regulatory focus orientation was measured in phase 1. In phase 2, regulatory focus orientation was manipulated prior having participants complete a puzzle task. After completing the task, they were given performance feedback recommendations that were framed to highlight either promotion or prevention concerns. Their attitudes towards and recall of the recommendations they received were then measured. Though not all of the predictions of the study were supported, results indicated a significant three-way interaction between chronic promotion, the manipulation of regulatory focus, and the framing of the performance feedback recommendations that qualified the relationship between chronic promotion and attitudes. This finding supports the notion that a better understanding of how feedback impacts subsequent performance is possible by studying the interaction between regulatory focus and message framing. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed. / Master of Science

The dual problem space model of writing (Scardamalia, Bereiter and Steinbach, 1984) shows how writers develop their knowledge and understanding of the world by reflecting on problems of substance and problems of presentation in planning a composition. Reflective thought is attributed to a two-way communication between a content problem space and a rhetorical problem space. The content space involves the development of ideas, while the rhetorical space is concerned with achieving various purposes in composition. This thesis reports an instructional experiment comparing alternative approaches to teaching the self-regulatory strategies required for the two-way process of reflection. The experiment compared the dialogue approach of current practice, which relies on the teacher to provide the linking operations between the two problem spaces, with two experimental approaches which promote development of self-regulatory strategies of reflection, so that students are able to sustain such a two-way process independently. The experimental approaches are described as a guided discovery approach proposed by Evans (1991) and an approach described as cognitive apprenticeship developed by Scardamalia, Bereiter and Steinbach (1984). Three instructional programs were prepared by the author to represent the three alternative approaches examined in the present study. The control program utilised the dialogue approach of current practice in which the dialectical process is carried on between teacher and student. The two experimental programs focused on promoting processes of self-questioning rather than questioning by an external agent such as a teacher. The guided discovery program consisted of activities which prompted self-questioning processes. The cognitive apprenticeship program employed scaffolding in the form of procedural facilitation cues to stimulate the self-questioning process. A pre-test and post-test control group design was used involving three groups, two experimental (guided discovery and cognitive apprenticeship) and one control (dialogue), with instructional method as the independent variable and rated reflectiveness of writing as the dependent variable. Instruction was concentrated on teaching the two-way problem formulating and problem solving strategies of the reflective process for opinion essays and factual exposition essays. The experiment compared the effectiveness of programs by measuring changes in overall reflectiveness of writing. Significant improvements were obtained for the experimental teaching methods withrespect to opinion essays. This research provided some support for the hypothesis that instruction which fosters self-regulation of the planning process through processes of reflection results in more reflective writing than instruction in which such regulation is prompted by the teacher.

Regular exercise is challenging and lapses in activity may lead to non-adherence. Adherence may be particularly challenging for symptomatic individuals with disease-related symptoms that may impede exercise. The combined use of cognitive-behavioural strategies including problem-solving has been strongly encouraged for promoting exercise adherence. However, evidence supporting the link between the use of the independent strategy of problem-solving and exercise adherence is limited. The overall purpose of this dissertation was to examine problem-solving relative to exercise-lapse related problems. Using two theoretical frameworks that offer insight into problem-solving (Model of Social Problem-Solving and Social Cognitive Theory), three studies were conducted to examine proposed relationships in various asymptomatic and symptomatic exercising samples. In Study 1A, relationships between self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) for exercise and problem-solving approach (task-diagnostic and self-diagnostic) were explored in a sample of exercising university students (n = 79). Results indicated that SRE beliefs were significantly and (1) positively related to task-diagnostic problem-solving approach and (2) negatively related to self-diagnostic problem-solving approach. In Study 1B, relationships between problem-solving effectiveness and exercise-related social cognitions were examined in the same sample. Findings demonstrated that problem-solving effectiveness was positively associated with social cognitive correlates of exercise adherence linked to adaptation. Relationships demonstrated in Study 1 provide preliminary support for previously unexamined problem-solving research questions relative to exercise. In Study 2, relationships between problem-solving effectiveness and exercise-related social cognitions (self-efficacy and persistence) were examined in a sample of exercising cardiac rehabilitation initiates (n = 52). These relationships were considered relative to two distinct components of the problem-solving process (seeking solutions to problems and carrying out solutions), which have not previously been examined relative to exercise lapses. Findings indicated significant relationships between problem-solving effectiveness and (a) self-efficacy for problem-solving (seeking solutions to problems), (b) persistence with problem-solving, (c) self-efficacy for solution implementation (carrying out solutions) and (d) persistence with solution implementation. In Study 3, problem-solving was examined among exercising cancer survivors (n = 35) with cancer-related fatigue, a problematic exercise barrier. Partial support was demonstrated for differences between more and less effective problem-solvers on fatigue-related variables. An under-examined area in problem-solving research was also examined in this study; the relationship between problem-solving and positive psychological functioning. Findings indicated significant differences for positive psychological functioning between individuals with higher and lower positive problem orientation. Taken together, the three studies represent an initial attempt to advance exercise and problem-solving literature by illustrating important theoretical relationships in three samples of exercisers, and addressing important gaps in the exercise and problem-solving literature. In regard to the latter point, the research was the first to examine (a) variables that may link problem-solving to exercise adherence, (b) two distinct components of the problem-solving process relative to an exercise lapse situation, and (c) potential links between problem-solving and selected positive psychological outcomes. Future research directions relative to problem-solving and exercise are suggested as possible next steps to advance this preliminary research.

Walking for active transportation (AT) has been associated with individuals meeting the recommended physical activity levels. Global and local (i.e., Saskatoon) reported walking rates are low. Barriers perceived as a challenge (i.e., frequent and limiting) may influence walking. Individual differences, such as self-regulatory efficacy (SRE), may help people persist in overcoming challenging barriers, with those being more efficacious having greater persistence than their lower efficacy counterparts. The overall purpose of the present self-efficacy theory-based study was to examine whether individuals with higher and lower SRE differed in their persistence to overcome barriers to walking to/from a university campus under two experimental conditions (i.e., higher versus lower challenge). The experimental study design was a two (between: higher versus lower SRE to overcome barriers) by two (within: higher versus lower challenge vignette) mixed factorial, with three measures of persistence as the dependent variables (i.e., number of written solutions to overcoming barriers, time taken to record the solutions, and anticipatory perseverance to overcome barriers to walking in the near future). Based on self-efficacy theory and past research, individuals who had higher SRE were expected to have significantly higher persistence than their lower SRE counterparts after reading the higher challenge vignette. Participants were young adults who walked to/from a university campus. Higher and lower SRE groups were identified via a median split (nhigher = 22; nlower = 23). Each participant read a higher and lower challenge vignette (i.e., order counterbalanced across participants) in a lab-based setting, followed by completion of persistence measures after each vignette reading. Findings from a series of two by two ANOVAS provided partial support of the study hypothesis. A significant interaction between SRE groups and challenge vignettes was found with the persistence measure of time spent reporting coping solutions, F(1,43) = 4.64, p = .037. As expected, results from simple main effects showed the higher SRE group significantly differed from the lower SRE group under the higher challenge vignette condition, F (1,43) = 5.27, p = .027, by spending significantly more time reporting solutions. No other significant interactions were found between SRE groups x vignettes with the remaining measures of persistence: (1) number of reported solutions F (1,43) = 3.15, p = .083, and (2) anticipatory perseverance F (1,43) = 0.05, p = .82. The present study contributed new information on challenging barriers to walking for AT. Findings from the experiment partially supported contentions from self-efficacy theory about the importance of SRE beliefs to persistence when individuals are challenged. Future research should continue to examine the potential role that SRE beliefs play in whether individuals walk for AT.

Engaging in 150+ minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise is a recommended self-management strategy for arthritis. Considering the low levels of exercise among individuals with arthritis, national calls have been made for investigation of theory-based processes important for adherence. Self-regulation may be a key process important for persisting with exercise plans in the face of arthritis pain anxiety. The present study examined relationships based upon a known model (Fear Avoidance [FA] model) used to understand self-regulatory behavioral responses to pain anxiety – an unexamined relationship in the arthritis and exercise literature. Primary study purposes involved examination of predictors (pain, pain anxiety, and pain acceptance) of maladaptive and adaptive self-regulatory responses among adults with arthritis who exercise. The secondary purpose examined whether participants who met the recommended dose of exercise over a two-week period significantly differed in their pain cognitions and self-regulatory responses to pain anxiety compared to less active counterparts. Participants were 136 adults (Mage = 49.75 ± 13.88years) with self-reported medically-diagnosed arthritis. Online surveys of pain cognitions and demographics were completed at baseline, followed by self-reported exercise two weeks later. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses illustrated that: (a) pain anxiety was a significant, positive predictor of the use of maladaptive self- regulatory responses (p < .001) and (b) the interaction of pain anxiety x pain acceptance was a significant predictor of the adaptive self-regulatory responses relationship (p < .05). Follow-up analyses illustrated that pain acceptance was a moderator of the pain anxiety – adaptive self-regulatory responses relationship. Participants with higher pain acceptance used adaptive responses less frequently when anxiety was lower than participants with lower acceptance. When pain anxiety was higher, both higher and lower pain acceptance was associated with the more frequent use of adaptive self-regulatory responses. A MANOVA analysis illustrated that participants meeting the recommended exercise dose had significantly lower pain anxiety, higher pain acceptance, and used maladaptive self-regulatory responses less compared to the group not meeting the dose (p’s ≤ .01). Taken together, findings provide the first ever support for FA model predictions in the arthritis – exercise domain. The results of this observational study suggest a next step could be an extended longitudinal study design with multiple time periods of assessment (e.g., measures once a month over a six-month period). Observing the relationships over time would provide a better understanding of within-person changes in the psychosocial variables relative to exercise. Such research would provide a profile of individuals’ levels of anxiety, acceptance, and self-regulatory responses when they either decrease or completely avoid exercise and when they adhere. Obtaining a social cognitive profile of people at risk for exercise avoidance may be a useful tool in the future to identify those who are in need of intervention to deal with their pain anxiety.

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