Positive messages enhance older adults’ motivation and recognition memory for physical activity programmes

Abstract

Although physical activity is an effective way to cope with ageing-related impairments, few older people are motivated to turn their sedentary lifestyle into an active one. Recent evidence suggests that walking can be more effectively promoted in older adults with positive messages about the benefits of walking than with negative messages about the risks of inactivity. This study examined motivation and memory as the supposed mechanisms underlying the greater effectiveness of positively framed compared to negatively framed messages for promoting activity. Older adults (N = 53, age 60–87 years) were introduced to six physical activity programmes that were randomly paired with either positively framed or negatively framed messages. Participants indicated how motivated they were to participate in each programme by providing ratings on attractiveness, suitability, capability and intention. They also completed surprise free recall and recognition tests. Respondents felt more motivated to participate in physical activity programmes paired with positively framed messages than in those with negatively framed ones. They also had better recognition memory for positively framed than negatively framed messages, and misremembered negatively framed messages to be positively framed. Findings support the notion that socioemotional selectivity theory—a theory of age-related changes in motivation—is a useful basis for health intervention design.

Appendix 1: The messages (Translated from Dutch)

Gaming: Positive

Gaming is a physical activity programme in which you can train your balance and coordination using a computer. Your coordination and balance will improve. Better balance and coordination will enhance your concentration and sense of stability. Your walking will become safer and steadier.

Gaming: Negative

Gaming is a physical activity programme in which you can train your balance and coordination using a computer. It prevents your coordination and balance from diminishing. Declining coordination and balance will make you feel distracted more quickly and your walking will be less stable. This will increase your risk of falling and breaking your bones.

Tai Chi: Positive

Tai Chi is a physical activity programme in which you make fluent movements to music. It is focused on improving your body awareness. By increasing your body awareness, you will become more relaxed and flexible. You will perform daily tasks more easily.

Tai Chi: Negative

Tai Chi is a physical activity programme in which you make fluent movements to music. It is focused on body awareness. Not listening to our bodies carefully will lead to increased stress and stiffness. It will be more difficult to perform daily tasks.

Nordic Walking: Positive

Nordic Walking is a physical activity programme in which you walk with walking poles. You will increase your physical fitness. Better physical fitness will make you feel in shape and your heart will become stronger and will beat more forcefully.

Nordic Walking: Negative

Nordic Walking is a physical activity programme in which you walk with walking poles. You prevent that your physical fitness declines. Decreased physical fitness will make you feel lethargic, and you run the risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.

Senior Fit: Positive

Senior Fit is a physical activity programme that focuses on training your muscle strength. Your muscle strength will increase. Enhanced muscle strength will make you feel stronger, and you will be able to perform physically demanding tasks better and for a longer time.

Senior Fit: Negative

Senior Fit is a physical activity programme that focuses on training your muscle strength. You prevent that your muscle strength diminishes. Decreased muscle strength will make you feel weaker, and you will find it harder to perform physically demanding tasks and will have to stop sooner.

Zumba: Positive

Zumba is a physical activity programme in which you dance to Latin-American music. Your vitality will increase. By enhancing your vitality, you will have a stronger desire to be socially active and be more emotionally stable.

Zumba: Negative

Zumba is a physical activity programme in which you dance to Latin-American music. You prevent that your vitality diminishes. Decreased vitality will result in tiredness and lethargy. You will withdraw more quickly and be more emotional unstable.

Yoga: Positive

Yoga is a relaxation programme that is focused on slow movements to the rhythm of your breath. You will achieve better relaxation. Enhanced relaxation will result in a more relaxed attitude, and you will feel happier. Your sleep quality will increase.

Yoga: Negative

Yoga is a relaxation programme that is focused on slow movements to the rhythm of your breath. This will lead to less body tension. High body tension leads to stress and makes you feel unhappy. Your sleep can be disturbed.