Sports medicine - open/Sports medicine - Open, May 20, 2024
Adherence to exercise is a crucial aspect of behavioral changes related to exercise. However, cur... more Adherence to exercise is a crucial aspect of behavioral changes related to exercise. However, current models fail to predict behavioral change, and exercise programs struggle to foster adherence. In this Current Opinion article, we defined adherence as a process linking behavior and attitude. More specifically, exercise adherence is the process by which people's behaviors conform to their attitudes and vice versa. Behavioral change theories should be able to predict changes, transformations, and modifications of behaviors; however, this is not currently the case. Prediction models of behavior are mainly focused on how to predict behavioral changes by affecting attitudes; however, these models have not considered the target behavior as a facilitator of adherence. Herein, a behavioral perspective is considered in three directions: first, exercise is a therapeutic modality that has the potential to improve motivation; second, chronic exercise helps sustain effort over time and increase executive functions and willpower; and third, exercise is an active behavior that has the potential to facilitate attitude change. Key Points • Behavioral change techniques should take into account processes involved during exercise or processes for longterm change. • Attitude change can be facilitated by committing people to their exercise behaviors. • The repetition of a short-term cycle linking exercise to effort-based decision-making leads to long-term changes in the strength of the link between attitude and behavior.
The quantitative methods for psychology, Oct 1, 2022
Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions q... more Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions qui désignent les opérations ou procédures permettant de juger de la pertinence d'un instrument de mesure psychométrique, de sonélaboration et son application. L'expression "validité psychométrique" a dès les débuts reçu diverses interprétations et elle continue aujourd'hui d'interpeller les théoriciens. La validité d'un test réside-t-elle dans la mesure qu'il produit ou dans l'action qui en découle ou bien réfère-t-elleà l'interprétation qu'on lui attache? La validité repose-t-elle strictement sur le résultat d'une procédure de validation? Un test "démontré valide" est-il valide en lui-même ou sa "validité" est-elle relativeà la démonstration qu'on en a faite ouà son usage prévu? Existe-t-il différentes espèces de validité ou représente-t-elle un concept unifié, molaire? Une définition claire et consensuelle du concept de "validité psychométrique" n'a pas encore vu le jour. C'est dans une perspectiveà la fois pragmatique et conceptuellement rigoureuse que nous préconisons d'abolir l'expression "validité psychométrique", que cette expression ne correspond pas per seà un concept, mais qu'elle est tout simplement un jugement, tout comme l'est au tribunal le prononcé du juge en considération des preuves qu'on lui soumet, de l'intimé concerné et des circonstances attenantes au procès. La validité est un jugementà l'effet que la mesure, le test, l'échelle psychométrique répond adéquatement et fidèlementà l'usage qu'on lui destine. L'essai explore ensuite le riche arsenal disponible au psychométricien età l'utilisateur pour leur permettre "d'évaluer"à bon escient la validité situationnelle du test produit. Validity, test validation, psychometric properties or qualities: here are three expressions that designate the operations and procedures that make it possible to judge the relevance of a psychometric measurement instrument, its development and its use. The expression "psychometric validity" has historically inherited various interpretations from the outset and it continues today to challenge theorists. Does the validity of a test lie in the measure it produces or in the action that is derived from it, or does it refer to the interpretation intended for it? Is validity based strictly on the result of a validation procedure? Is a "demonstrated valid" test valid in itself or is its "validity" relative to the demonstration or intended use? Are there different species of validity or does it represent a unified, molar concept? A clear and consensual definition of the concept of "psychometric validity" has not yet been found. It is from a pragmatic yet conceptually rigorous perspective that this essay argues for the abolition of the term "psychometric validity", that the term is not a concept per se, but simply a judgment, just as a judge's pronouncement in court is a judgment in light of the evidence before him or her, the respondent, and the circumstances surrounding the trial. Validity is a judgment that the measure, test, or psychometric scale responds adequately and reliably to its intended use. The essay then explores the well-stocked arsenal available to the psychometrician and his client to enable them to "assess" themselves the situational validity of the test produced.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2017
Textes issus de la 2e journée des psychogérontologues de la région Centre, tenue le 30 mars 2017I... more Textes issus de la 2e journée des psychogérontologues de la région Centre, tenue le 30 mars 2017International audienc
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 1, 2010
Non-face-to-face interventions can have substantial public health impact given their high reach a... more Non-face-to-face interventions can have substantial public health impact given their high reach at relatively low cost. Individually tailored print-based exercise promotion interventions have been moderately successful; however, the content of individually tailored interventions has typically been based on a limited number of psychosocial constructs. PURPOSE: To compare our previously supported individually tailored print-based exercise promotion intervention based on the transtheoretical model and a limited number of social cognitive theory (SCT) variables (e.g., self-efficacy) to an enhanced version, which more fully incorporated SCT variables (e.g., planning, goal setting, selfmonitoring, outcome expectancies). METHODS: This study was a randomized controlled trial of 248 healthy, previously sedentary adults, who were predominantly female (87.1%) and Non-Hispanic White (80.2%), with average age of 46.8 years. Participants were randomized to one of two 12-month exercise promotion programs. The 7-day physical activity recall (PAR) interview was completed at baseline, 6 and 12 months by a research assistant who was blinded to treatment condition. PAR data were transformed into a dichotomous variable representing meeting or not meeting the ACSM criteria for moderate intensity exercise (i.e., > 150 min/week). RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, probability of meeting ACSM criteria for the tailored print versus enhanced tailored print interventions was 27% versus 39% (p = .18) at 6 months and 14% versus 21% at 12 months (p = .23). CONCLUSIONS: The enhancements to our previous print-based intervention did not result in significant differences in percent of participants meeting ACSM guidelines. However, given the potential for broad reach of the intervention, and the low cost of additional program enhancements, the impact of the intervention could be large, and thus dissemination of the enhanced intervention is warranted.
Eating and Weight Disorders-studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity, Sep 3, 2015
This investigation was designed to improve behavioral weight loss program (BWLP) treatment outcom... more This investigation was designed to improve behavioral weight loss program (BWLP) treatment outcomes by providing stepped care (SC) to individuals experiencing difficulties with weight loss during treatment. SC entails transition to more intensive treatments when less intensive treatments fail to meet treatment goals. In a BWLP, motivational interviewing (MI) may increase participants' motivation toward behavioral change and thus complement the acquisition of behavioral change skills. It was hypothesized that BWLP ϩ SC (MI) participants (i.e., participants who failed to meet weight loss goals and received MI) would demonstrate superior treatment outcomes when compared with BWLP (SC matched) participants (i.e., participants who failed to meet weight loss goals but did not receive MI). Design: Fifty-five obese, sedentary adults were randomly assigned to a BWLP ϩ SC or a BWLP. Main outcome measures: Changes in weight, cardiorespiratory fitness, self-reported physical activity, and diet (i.e., calories, percentage daily intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates) in response to treatment were assessed. Results: Participants significantly decreased their weight, increased physical activity/fitness, and improved dietary intake (ps Ͻ .05). BWLP ϩ SC (MI) participants lost more weight and engaged in greater weekly exercise than BWLP (SC matched) participants who did not receive MI (ps Ͻ .05). Conclusion: For individuals experiencing weight loss difficulties during a BWLP, MI may have considerable promise.
A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce the... more A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce their level of physical activity. Usually, this reduction is attributed to cancer-related fatigue. However, to our knowledge, no study has clearly demonstrated that fatigue alters effort-based decision-making in cancer. This mini-review aimed to provide evidence that chronic fatigue in cancer patients causes changes in brain connectivity that impact effortbased decision-making. Indeed, three patterns of activation to compensate for dysfunctional networks have been reported: greater variability in the executive network and hyperactivation in the executive network, which account for less efficient and costly processes in the frontal cortex, and reduced deactivation in the default mode network. Nevertheless, these activation patterns are also observed with other factors, such as anticipatory stressors (worry, rumination or sleep loss), that might also cause reluctance to engage in physical activity. Effort-based decision-making involving weighing costs against benefits and physical activity interventions should increase immediate benefits to facilitate engagement in effortful activities.
The purpose of this article was to verify whether beliefs about chance are multi or unidimensiona... more The purpose of this article was to verify whether beliefs about chance are multi or unidimensional constructs. Traditionally, authors who assessed beliefs about chance postulated that individuals who perceive themselves as unlucky usually believe that chance is random and are less confident as well as more anxious. Curiously, it appears that sometimes these individuals act as if they were motivated to avoid negative consequences. In order to better understand these puzzling findings, two studies were performed to compare three instruments intended to assess beliefs about chance and to verify their causal properties. In total, 285 students filled out a battery of instruments, including chance questionnaires (LOC, BIGL and MBIC) and personality traits. Overall, results showed that luck, through perceived controllability, seems to be related to volitional control, whereas chance, which is more stable and less controllable than luck, can be associated with cognitive distortions. The implications of these results are discussed.
Personality and Individual Differences, May 1, 2006
Studies on luck and chance have developed models, which tend to demonstrate two kinds of people: ... more Studies on luck and chance have developed models, which tend to demonstrate two kinds of people: those who perceive chance as a personality trait and those as a random event. In other respects, studies on counterfactual thinking have shown that people construct a belief about their capacities to identify favourable occasions when they can succeed. In this case, people consider that opportunity is a kind of irrational belief like chance and luck. According to these conceptualisations, an instrument was constructed including positive and negative perceptions of fortune, luck and opportunity. In total, 195 students completed this instrument. Principal component and confirmatory factor analyses revealed the predicted four components marked by luck, good fortune, bad fortune and opportunity. Finally, it appeared that these four perceptions confirmed previous studies concerning relations between self-esteem, anxiety and achievement motivation and irrational beliefs in chance.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Jul 1, 2020
Although a growing number of studies have examined the effects of regular exercise on cognition a... more Although a growing number of studies have examined the effects of regular exercise on cognition and academic performance in children, the findings have remained controversial due to divergent experimental approaches. PURPOSE: The present study investigated baseline cognitive performance as a moderating factor underlying the effects of regular exercise intervention on cognition, with the goal of determining whether baseline variance may account for the lack of consensus in the literature. METHODS: We reanalyzed data from three randomized controlled trials in which the effects of regular exercise intervention on cognition were examined using executive function tasks (e.g., flanker task), with a cumulative total of 292 participants (9-13 years). To test the moderation effects of baseline performance on the relationship between exercise intervention and changes in cognitive performance, we used hierarchical generalized multiple regression analysis predicting pre-post changes in cognitive performance. RESULTS: Results indicated that the beneficial effects of regular exercise intervention on cognitive performance were greater in lower baseline performers. Additionally, the pre-post changes in cognitive performance did not differ between the control and intervention groups, even for high baseline performers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that baseline cognitive performance is an individual difference variable that moderates the effects of regular exercise intervention on changes in cognition. Thus, future studies should account for baseline cognitive performance when examining the exercise-cognition relationship. The present study also supports recent views that increased time spent in physical exercise does not detract from cognitive performance and academic achievement in children. Supported by NICHD Grant R01 HD055352 and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner-Foundation (8472/HEG-DSV).
Les objectifs de ce travail sont d'une part l'examen du cadre theorique sur lequel repose... more Les objectifs de ce travail sont d'une part l'examen du cadre theorique sur lequel repose notre modele conceptuel attache a la confiance en soi et aux croyances a l'origine de sa determination et d'autre part, la construction et la validation d'un outil destine a les mesurer assortie d'une demarche experimentale. La premiere section propose une clarification conceptuelle et terminologique des differents travaux attaches a l'analyse de la confiance en soi et situe ce construit au sein de la motivation a l'accomplissement. A l'issue de ces clarifications, il apparait que la confiance en soi peut etre a la fois un etat, c'est-a-dire, dependante d'une situation particuliere, et un trait, autrement dit consideree comme une variable de personnalite relativement stable. Consecutivement a ces clarifications, deux variables cognitives nommees croyances sont apparues qui participent a la determination de la confiance en soi. La premiere, les croyances d'efficacite personnelle, fait appel a l'efficacite des moyens que l'individu pense posseder ou auxquelles il a acces, alors que la seconde, appelee croyances sur les ressources requises pour reussir concerne les moyens que l'individu considere comme necessaires pour atteindre ses buts. La deuxieme section concerne la creation et la validation d'un outil de mesure destine a mesurer ces deux croyances, section dans laquelle trois etudes ont ete conduites nous permettant de valider ces deux construits par l'exploitation des donnees obtenues au cours d'une passation collective et de verifier l'hypothese d'un lien entre ces deux variables cognitives et la confiance en soi trait et etat. Au terme de ces trois etudes, il apparait que les resultats attestent d'une adequation satisfaisante entre le modele initial et les donnees observees, a savoir que ces deux croyances sont bien deux constructions cognitives differentes et que de leur relation depend le niveau de confiance en soi. La troisieme et derniere section de cette recherche repose sur une demarche experimentale au sein de laquelle deux etudes ont ete menees afin de montrer d'une part, l'influence de l'orientation de ces trois croyances sur la confiance en soi etat et la performance et d'autre part, afin de valider le modele theorique propose.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
A main way by which meaning influences mental health is by the formation of interpersonal schemas... more A main way by which meaning influences mental health is by the formation of interpersonal schemas that specify what to expect from others and how to treat them. Particularly during preadolescence (a developmental phase focused on interpersonal skills), young people living in a stressful or hurtful environment can form atypical schemas that can help them survive but that produce serious problems when later applied to newly forming adult relationships. We provide three case studies illustrating this process. A boy learned to cope by withdrawing from social interaction and excelling in schoolwork. A girl learned to cope by denying her own needs and sacrificing herself for the welfare of others. Another girl coped by pervasive distrust of others and by becoming assertively independent. These children learned well enough to adapt to these dysfunctional relationships so as to suffer as little as possible, and they even developed some personal skills and resources. However, the rigid schem...
The ego-depletion effect has been interpreted as a temporary failure of self-control exertion aft... more The ego-depletion effect has been interpreted as a temporary failure of self-control exertion after a first effortful task (Baumeister et al., 2007). Although the existence of this effect was previously challenged (Vohs et al., 2021), it was successfully replicated in a recent study applying an adequate experimental protocol (Mangin et al., 2021). In the present experiment, we applied a similar protocol while assessing the electrophysiological changes in effort engagement through mid-frontal theta and cardiac reactivity (Cavanagh & Frank, 2014; Mukherjee et al., 2011). A total of 32 participants in a between-subjects design performed the following task sequence: handgrip task at 13% of maximal voluntary contraction, a 30-min mental task (depleting or control task) and the handgrip task again (dependent task). The experimental group (N = 16) performed a modified Stroop task, while the control group (N = 16) watched an emotionally neutral documentary. EEG and ECG were recorded on a co...
: Many disturbances of physical, social, and mental health have conditions involving lack of ener... more : Many disturbances of physical, social, and mental health have conditions involving lack of energy, difficulty in making decisions, and low interest or motivation. Laboratory studies of willpower depletion have produced similar states in a temporary fashion. The present review uses extant literature to develop and test three theories about how temporary states of low willpower could become chronic. The first is ongoing and repeated exposure to depleting circumstances, such as caregiver fatigue, burdensome financial debts, and high-stress jobs. The second focuses on inadequate recoveries, such as poor sleep, insufficient nutrition, or unsatisfying vacations. The third invokes dispositional vulnerabilities that predispose some people to become depleted more frequently than others. A wide-ranging search for evidence concluded that the first two theories have more support than the third, though all further merit research. Additional possible contributions to chronicity are discussed, such as the emergence of vicious circles.
Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions q... more Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions qui désignent les opérations ou procédures permettant de juger de la pertinence d'un instrument de mesure psychométrique, de sonélaboration et son application. L'expression "validité psychométrique" a dès les débuts reçu diverses interprétations et elle continue aujourd'hui d'interpeller les théoriciens. La validité d'un test réside-t-elle dans la mesure qu'il produit ou dans l'action qui en découle ou bien réfère-t-elleà l'interprétation qu'on lui attache? La validité repose-t-elle strictement sur le résultat d'une procédure de validation? Un test "démontré valide" est-il valide en lui-même ou sa "validité" est-elle relativeà la démonstration qu'on en a faite ouà son usage prévu? Existe-t-il différentes espèces de validité ou représente-t-elle un concept unifié, molaire? Une définition claire et consensuelle du concept de "validité psychométrique" n'a pas encore vu le jour. C'est dans une perspectiveà la fois pragmatique et conceptuellement rigoureuse que nous préconisons d'abolir l'expression "validité psychométrique", que cette expression ne correspond pas per seà un concept, mais qu'elle est tout simplement un jugement, tout comme l'est au tribunal le prononcé du juge en considération des preuves qu'on lui soumet, de l'intimé concerné et des circonstances attenantes au procès. La validité est un jugementà l'effet que la mesure, le test, l'échelle psychométrique répond adéquatement et fidèlementà l'usage qu'on lui destine. L'essai explore ensuite le riche arsenal disponible au psychométricien età l'utilisateur pour leur permettre "d'évaluer"à bon escient la validité situationnelle du test produit. Validity, test validation, psychometric properties or qualities: here are three expressions that designate the operations and procedures that make it possible to judge the relevance of a psychometric measurement instrument, its development and its use. The expression "psychometric validity" has historically inherited various interpretations from the outset and it continues today to challenge theorists. Does the validity of a test lie in the measure it produces or in the action that is derived from it, or does it refer to the interpretation intended for it? Is validity based strictly on the result of a validation procedure? Is a "demonstrated valid" test valid in itself or is its "validity" relative to the demonstration or intended use? Are there different species of validity or does it represent a unified, molar concept? A clear and consensual definition of the concept of "psychometric validity" has not yet been found. It is from a pragmatic yet conceptually rigorous perspective that this essay argues for the abolition of the term "psychometric validity", that the term is not a concept per se, but simply a judgment, just as a judge's pronouncement in court is a judgment in light of the evidence before him or her, the respondent, and the circumstances surrounding the trial. Validity is a judgment that the measure, test, or psychometric scale responds adequately and reliably to its intended use. The essay then explores the well-stocked arsenal available to the psychometrician and his client to enable them to "assess" themselves the situational validity of the test produced.
Mental fatigue can be studied by using either the time-on-task protocol or the sequential task pr... more Mental fatigue can be studied by using either the time-on-task protocol or the sequential task protocol. In the time-on-task protocol, participants perform a long and effortful task and a decrease in performance in this task is generally observed over time. In the sequential task protocol, a first effortful or control task is followed by a second effortful task. The performance in the second task is generally worse after the effortful task than after the control task. The principal aim of the present experiment is to examine the relationship between these two decrements in performance while concomitantly using a sequential task protocol and assessing the performance of the first effortful task as a function of time-on-task. We expect a positive correlation between these two decrements in performance. A total of 83 participants performed a 30-min fatiguing mental task (i.e., a modified Stroop task) or a control task followed by a time-to-exhaustion handgrip task. As expected, this pr...
A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce the... more A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce their level of physical activity. Usually, this reduction is attributed to cancer-related fatigue. However, to our knowledge, no study has clearly demonstrated that fatigue alters effort-based decision-making in cancer. This mini-review aimed to provide evidence that chronic fatigue in cancer patients causes changes in brain connectivity that impact effort-based decision-making. Indeed, three patterns of activation to compensate for dysfunctional networks have been reported: greater variability in the executive network and hyperactivation in the executive network, which account for less efficient and costly processes in the frontal cortex, and reduced deactivation in the default mode network. Nevertheless, these activation patterns are also observed with other factors, such as anticipatory stressors (worry, rumination or sleep loss), that might also cause reluctance to engage in physical ac...
Sports medicine - open/Sports medicine - Open, May 20, 2024
Adherence to exercise is a crucial aspect of behavioral changes related to exercise. However, cur... more Adherence to exercise is a crucial aspect of behavioral changes related to exercise. However, current models fail to predict behavioral change, and exercise programs struggle to foster adherence. In this Current Opinion article, we defined adherence as a process linking behavior and attitude. More specifically, exercise adherence is the process by which people's behaviors conform to their attitudes and vice versa. Behavioral change theories should be able to predict changes, transformations, and modifications of behaviors; however, this is not currently the case. Prediction models of behavior are mainly focused on how to predict behavioral changes by affecting attitudes; however, these models have not considered the target behavior as a facilitator of adherence. Herein, a behavioral perspective is considered in three directions: first, exercise is a therapeutic modality that has the potential to improve motivation; second, chronic exercise helps sustain effort over time and increase executive functions and willpower; and third, exercise is an active behavior that has the potential to facilitate attitude change. Key Points • Behavioral change techniques should take into account processes involved during exercise or processes for longterm change. • Attitude change can be facilitated by committing people to their exercise behaviors. • The repetition of a short-term cycle linking exercise to effort-based decision-making leads to long-term changes in the strength of the link between attitude and behavior.
The quantitative methods for psychology, Oct 1, 2022
Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions q... more Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions qui désignent les opérations ou procédures permettant de juger de la pertinence d'un instrument de mesure psychométrique, de sonélaboration et son application. L'expression "validité psychométrique" a dès les débuts reçu diverses interprétations et elle continue aujourd'hui d'interpeller les théoriciens. La validité d'un test réside-t-elle dans la mesure qu'il produit ou dans l'action qui en découle ou bien réfère-t-elleà l'interprétation qu'on lui attache? La validité repose-t-elle strictement sur le résultat d'une procédure de validation? Un test "démontré valide" est-il valide en lui-même ou sa "validité" est-elle relativeà la démonstration qu'on en a faite ouà son usage prévu? Existe-t-il différentes espèces de validité ou représente-t-elle un concept unifié, molaire? Une définition claire et consensuelle du concept de "validité psychométrique" n'a pas encore vu le jour. C'est dans une perspectiveà la fois pragmatique et conceptuellement rigoureuse que nous préconisons d'abolir l'expression "validité psychométrique", que cette expression ne correspond pas per seà un concept, mais qu'elle est tout simplement un jugement, tout comme l'est au tribunal le prononcé du juge en considération des preuves qu'on lui soumet, de l'intimé concerné et des circonstances attenantes au procès. La validité est un jugementà l'effet que la mesure, le test, l'échelle psychométrique répond adéquatement et fidèlementà l'usage qu'on lui destine. L'essai explore ensuite le riche arsenal disponible au psychométricien età l'utilisateur pour leur permettre "d'évaluer"à bon escient la validité situationnelle du test produit. Validity, test validation, psychometric properties or qualities: here are three expressions that designate the operations and procedures that make it possible to judge the relevance of a psychometric measurement instrument, its development and its use. The expression "psychometric validity" has historically inherited various interpretations from the outset and it continues today to challenge theorists. Does the validity of a test lie in the measure it produces or in the action that is derived from it, or does it refer to the interpretation intended for it? Is validity based strictly on the result of a validation procedure? Is a "demonstrated valid" test valid in itself or is its "validity" relative to the demonstration or intended use? Are there different species of validity or does it represent a unified, molar concept? A clear and consensual definition of the concept of "psychometric validity" has not yet been found. It is from a pragmatic yet conceptually rigorous perspective that this essay argues for the abolition of the term "psychometric validity", that the term is not a concept per se, but simply a judgment, just as a judge's pronouncement in court is a judgment in light of the evidence before him or her, the respondent, and the circumstances surrounding the trial. Validity is a judgment that the measure, test, or psychometric scale responds adequately and reliably to its intended use. The essay then explores the well-stocked arsenal available to the psychometrician and his client to enable them to "assess" themselves the situational validity of the test produced.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2017
Textes issus de la 2e journée des psychogérontologues de la région Centre, tenue le 30 mars 2017I... more Textes issus de la 2e journée des psychogérontologues de la région Centre, tenue le 30 mars 2017International audienc
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 1, 2010
Non-face-to-face interventions can have substantial public health impact given their high reach a... more Non-face-to-face interventions can have substantial public health impact given their high reach at relatively low cost. Individually tailored print-based exercise promotion interventions have been moderately successful; however, the content of individually tailored interventions has typically been based on a limited number of psychosocial constructs. PURPOSE: To compare our previously supported individually tailored print-based exercise promotion intervention based on the transtheoretical model and a limited number of social cognitive theory (SCT) variables (e.g., self-efficacy) to an enhanced version, which more fully incorporated SCT variables (e.g., planning, goal setting, selfmonitoring, outcome expectancies). METHODS: This study was a randomized controlled trial of 248 healthy, previously sedentary adults, who were predominantly female (87.1%) and Non-Hispanic White (80.2%), with average age of 46.8 years. Participants were randomized to one of two 12-month exercise promotion programs. The 7-day physical activity recall (PAR) interview was completed at baseline, 6 and 12 months by a research assistant who was blinded to treatment condition. PAR data were transformed into a dichotomous variable representing meeting or not meeting the ACSM criteria for moderate intensity exercise (i.e., > 150 min/week). RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, probability of meeting ACSM criteria for the tailored print versus enhanced tailored print interventions was 27% versus 39% (p = .18) at 6 months and 14% versus 21% at 12 months (p = .23). CONCLUSIONS: The enhancements to our previous print-based intervention did not result in significant differences in percent of participants meeting ACSM guidelines. However, given the potential for broad reach of the intervention, and the low cost of additional program enhancements, the impact of the intervention could be large, and thus dissemination of the enhanced intervention is warranted.
Eating and Weight Disorders-studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity, Sep 3, 2015
This investigation was designed to improve behavioral weight loss program (BWLP) treatment outcom... more This investigation was designed to improve behavioral weight loss program (BWLP) treatment outcomes by providing stepped care (SC) to individuals experiencing difficulties with weight loss during treatment. SC entails transition to more intensive treatments when less intensive treatments fail to meet treatment goals. In a BWLP, motivational interviewing (MI) may increase participants' motivation toward behavioral change and thus complement the acquisition of behavioral change skills. It was hypothesized that BWLP ϩ SC (MI) participants (i.e., participants who failed to meet weight loss goals and received MI) would demonstrate superior treatment outcomes when compared with BWLP (SC matched) participants (i.e., participants who failed to meet weight loss goals but did not receive MI). Design: Fifty-five obese, sedentary adults were randomly assigned to a BWLP ϩ SC or a BWLP. Main outcome measures: Changes in weight, cardiorespiratory fitness, self-reported physical activity, and diet (i.e., calories, percentage daily intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates) in response to treatment were assessed. Results: Participants significantly decreased their weight, increased physical activity/fitness, and improved dietary intake (ps Ͻ .05). BWLP ϩ SC (MI) participants lost more weight and engaged in greater weekly exercise than BWLP (SC matched) participants who did not receive MI (ps Ͻ .05). Conclusion: For individuals experiencing weight loss difficulties during a BWLP, MI may have considerable promise.
A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce the... more A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce their level of physical activity. Usually, this reduction is attributed to cancer-related fatigue. However, to our knowledge, no study has clearly demonstrated that fatigue alters effort-based decision-making in cancer. This mini-review aimed to provide evidence that chronic fatigue in cancer patients causes changes in brain connectivity that impact effortbased decision-making. Indeed, three patterns of activation to compensate for dysfunctional networks have been reported: greater variability in the executive network and hyperactivation in the executive network, which account for less efficient and costly processes in the frontal cortex, and reduced deactivation in the default mode network. Nevertheless, these activation patterns are also observed with other factors, such as anticipatory stressors (worry, rumination or sleep loss), that might also cause reluctance to engage in physical activity. Effort-based decision-making involving weighing costs against benefits and physical activity interventions should increase immediate benefits to facilitate engagement in effortful activities.
The purpose of this article was to verify whether beliefs about chance are multi or unidimensiona... more The purpose of this article was to verify whether beliefs about chance are multi or unidimensional constructs. Traditionally, authors who assessed beliefs about chance postulated that individuals who perceive themselves as unlucky usually believe that chance is random and are less confident as well as more anxious. Curiously, it appears that sometimes these individuals act as if they were motivated to avoid negative consequences. In order to better understand these puzzling findings, two studies were performed to compare three instruments intended to assess beliefs about chance and to verify their causal properties. In total, 285 students filled out a battery of instruments, including chance questionnaires (LOC, BIGL and MBIC) and personality traits. Overall, results showed that luck, through perceived controllability, seems to be related to volitional control, whereas chance, which is more stable and less controllable than luck, can be associated with cognitive distortions. The implications of these results are discussed.
Personality and Individual Differences, May 1, 2006
Studies on luck and chance have developed models, which tend to demonstrate two kinds of people: ... more Studies on luck and chance have developed models, which tend to demonstrate two kinds of people: those who perceive chance as a personality trait and those as a random event. In other respects, studies on counterfactual thinking have shown that people construct a belief about their capacities to identify favourable occasions when they can succeed. In this case, people consider that opportunity is a kind of irrational belief like chance and luck. According to these conceptualisations, an instrument was constructed including positive and negative perceptions of fortune, luck and opportunity. In total, 195 students completed this instrument. Principal component and confirmatory factor analyses revealed the predicted four components marked by luck, good fortune, bad fortune and opportunity. Finally, it appeared that these four perceptions confirmed previous studies concerning relations between self-esteem, anxiety and achievement motivation and irrational beliefs in chance.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Jul 1, 2020
Although a growing number of studies have examined the effects of regular exercise on cognition a... more Although a growing number of studies have examined the effects of regular exercise on cognition and academic performance in children, the findings have remained controversial due to divergent experimental approaches. PURPOSE: The present study investigated baseline cognitive performance as a moderating factor underlying the effects of regular exercise intervention on cognition, with the goal of determining whether baseline variance may account for the lack of consensus in the literature. METHODS: We reanalyzed data from three randomized controlled trials in which the effects of regular exercise intervention on cognition were examined using executive function tasks (e.g., flanker task), with a cumulative total of 292 participants (9-13 years). To test the moderation effects of baseline performance on the relationship between exercise intervention and changes in cognitive performance, we used hierarchical generalized multiple regression analysis predicting pre-post changes in cognitive performance. RESULTS: Results indicated that the beneficial effects of regular exercise intervention on cognitive performance were greater in lower baseline performers. Additionally, the pre-post changes in cognitive performance did not differ between the control and intervention groups, even for high baseline performers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that baseline cognitive performance is an individual difference variable that moderates the effects of regular exercise intervention on changes in cognition. Thus, future studies should account for baseline cognitive performance when examining the exercise-cognition relationship. The present study also supports recent views that increased time spent in physical exercise does not detract from cognitive performance and academic achievement in children. Supported by NICHD Grant R01 HD055352 and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner-Foundation (8472/HEG-DSV).
Les objectifs de ce travail sont d'une part l'examen du cadre theorique sur lequel repose... more Les objectifs de ce travail sont d'une part l'examen du cadre theorique sur lequel repose notre modele conceptuel attache a la confiance en soi et aux croyances a l'origine de sa determination et d'autre part, la construction et la validation d'un outil destine a les mesurer assortie d'une demarche experimentale. La premiere section propose une clarification conceptuelle et terminologique des differents travaux attaches a l'analyse de la confiance en soi et situe ce construit au sein de la motivation a l'accomplissement. A l'issue de ces clarifications, il apparait que la confiance en soi peut etre a la fois un etat, c'est-a-dire, dependante d'une situation particuliere, et un trait, autrement dit consideree comme une variable de personnalite relativement stable. Consecutivement a ces clarifications, deux variables cognitives nommees croyances sont apparues qui participent a la determination de la confiance en soi. La premiere, les croyances d'efficacite personnelle, fait appel a l'efficacite des moyens que l'individu pense posseder ou auxquelles il a acces, alors que la seconde, appelee croyances sur les ressources requises pour reussir concerne les moyens que l'individu considere comme necessaires pour atteindre ses buts. La deuxieme section concerne la creation et la validation d'un outil de mesure destine a mesurer ces deux croyances, section dans laquelle trois etudes ont ete conduites nous permettant de valider ces deux construits par l'exploitation des donnees obtenues au cours d'une passation collective et de verifier l'hypothese d'un lien entre ces deux variables cognitives et la confiance en soi trait et etat. Au terme de ces trois etudes, il apparait que les resultats attestent d'une adequation satisfaisante entre le modele initial et les donnees observees, a savoir que ces deux croyances sont bien deux constructions cognitives differentes et que de leur relation depend le niveau de confiance en soi. La troisieme et derniere section de cette recherche repose sur une demarche experimentale au sein de laquelle deux etudes ont ete menees afin de montrer d'une part, l'influence de l'orientation de ces trois croyances sur la confiance en soi etat et la performance et d'autre part, afin de valider le modele theorique propose.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
A main way by which meaning influences mental health is by the formation of interpersonal schemas... more A main way by which meaning influences mental health is by the formation of interpersonal schemas that specify what to expect from others and how to treat them. Particularly during preadolescence (a developmental phase focused on interpersonal skills), young people living in a stressful or hurtful environment can form atypical schemas that can help them survive but that produce serious problems when later applied to newly forming adult relationships. We provide three case studies illustrating this process. A boy learned to cope by withdrawing from social interaction and excelling in schoolwork. A girl learned to cope by denying her own needs and sacrificing herself for the welfare of others. Another girl coped by pervasive distrust of others and by becoming assertively independent. These children learned well enough to adapt to these dysfunctional relationships so as to suffer as little as possible, and they even developed some personal skills and resources. However, the rigid schem...
The ego-depletion effect has been interpreted as a temporary failure of self-control exertion aft... more The ego-depletion effect has been interpreted as a temporary failure of self-control exertion after a first effortful task (Baumeister et al., 2007). Although the existence of this effect was previously challenged (Vohs et al., 2021), it was successfully replicated in a recent study applying an adequate experimental protocol (Mangin et al., 2021). In the present experiment, we applied a similar protocol while assessing the electrophysiological changes in effort engagement through mid-frontal theta and cardiac reactivity (Cavanagh & Frank, 2014; Mukherjee et al., 2011). A total of 32 participants in a between-subjects design performed the following task sequence: handgrip task at 13% of maximal voluntary contraction, a 30-min mental task (depleting or control task) and the handgrip task again (dependent task). The experimental group (N = 16) performed a modified Stroop task, while the control group (N = 16) watched an emotionally neutral documentary. EEG and ECG were recorded on a co...
: Many disturbances of physical, social, and mental health have conditions involving lack of ener... more : Many disturbances of physical, social, and mental health have conditions involving lack of energy, difficulty in making decisions, and low interest or motivation. Laboratory studies of willpower depletion have produced similar states in a temporary fashion. The present review uses extant literature to develop and test three theories about how temporary states of low willpower could become chronic. The first is ongoing and repeated exposure to depleting circumstances, such as caregiver fatigue, burdensome financial debts, and high-stress jobs. The second focuses on inadequate recoveries, such as poor sleep, insufficient nutrition, or unsatisfying vacations. The third invokes dispositional vulnerabilities that predispose some people to become depleted more frequently than others. A wide-ranging search for evidence concluded that the first two theories have more support than the third, though all further merit research. Additional possible contributions to chronicity are discussed, such as the emergence of vicious circles.
Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions q... more Validité, validation d'un test, propriétés ou qualités psychométriques, voilà trois expressions qui désignent les opérations ou procédures permettant de juger de la pertinence d'un instrument de mesure psychométrique, de sonélaboration et son application. L'expression "validité psychométrique" a dès les débuts reçu diverses interprétations et elle continue aujourd'hui d'interpeller les théoriciens. La validité d'un test réside-t-elle dans la mesure qu'il produit ou dans l'action qui en découle ou bien réfère-t-elleà l'interprétation qu'on lui attache? La validité repose-t-elle strictement sur le résultat d'une procédure de validation? Un test "démontré valide" est-il valide en lui-même ou sa "validité" est-elle relativeà la démonstration qu'on en a faite ouà son usage prévu? Existe-t-il différentes espèces de validité ou représente-t-elle un concept unifié, molaire? Une définition claire et consensuelle du concept de "validité psychométrique" n'a pas encore vu le jour. C'est dans une perspectiveà la fois pragmatique et conceptuellement rigoureuse que nous préconisons d'abolir l'expression "validité psychométrique", que cette expression ne correspond pas per seà un concept, mais qu'elle est tout simplement un jugement, tout comme l'est au tribunal le prononcé du juge en considération des preuves qu'on lui soumet, de l'intimé concerné et des circonstances attenantes au procès. La validité est un jugementà l'effet que la mesure, le test, l'échelle psychométrique répond adéquatement et fidèlementà l'usage qu'on lui destine. L'essai explore ensuite le riche arsenal disponible au psychométricien età l'utilisateur pour leur permettre "d'évaluer"à bon escient la validité situationnelle du test produit. Validity, test validation, psychometric properties or qualities: here are three expressions that designate the operations and procedures that make it possible to judge the relevance of a psychometric measurement instrument, its development and its use. The expression "psychometric validity" has historically inherited various interpretations from the outset and it continues today to challenge theorists. Does the validity of a test lie in the measure it produces or in the action that is derived from it, or does it refer to the interpretation intended for it? Is validity based strictly on the result of a validation procedure? Is a "demonstrated valid" test valid in itself or is its "validity" relative to the demonstration or intended use? Are there different species of validity or does it represent a unified, molar concept? A clear and consensual definition of the concept of "psychometric validity" has not yet been found. It is from a pragmatic yet conceptually rigorous perspective that this essay argues for the abolition of the term "psychometric validity", that the term is not a concept per se, but simply a judgment, just as a judge's pronouncement in court is a judgment in light of the evidence before him or her, the respondent, and the circumstances surrounding the trial. Validity is a judgment that the measure, test, or psychometric scale responds adequately and reliably to its intended use. The essay then explores the well-stocked arsenal available to the psychometrician and his client to enable them to "assess" themselves the situational validity of the test produced.
Mental fatigue can be studied by using either the time-on-task protocol or the sequential task pr... more Mental fatigue can be studied by using either the time-on-task protocol or the sequential task protocol. In the time-on-task protocol, participants perform a long and effortful task and a decrease in performance in this task is generally observed over time. In the sequential task protocol, a first effortful or control task is followed by a second effortful task. The performance in the second task is generally worse after the effortful task than after the control task. The principal aim of the present experiment is to examine the relationship between these two decrements in performance while concomitantly using a sequential task protocol and assessing the performance of the first effortful task as a function of time-on-task. We expect a positive correlation between these two decrements in performance. A total of 83 participants performed a 30-min fatiguing mental task (i.e., a modified Stroop task) or a control task followed by a time-to-exhaustion handgrip task. As expected, this pr...
A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce the... more A large amount of evidence shows that after a cancer diagnosis, patients significantly reduce their level of physical activity. Usually, this reduction is attributed to cancer-related fatigue. However, to our knowledge, no study has clearly demonstrated that fatigue alters effort-based decision-making in cancer. This mini-review aimed to provide evidence that chronic fatigue in cancer patients causes changes in brain connectivity that impact effort-based decision-making. Indeed, three patterns of activation to compensate for dysfunctional networks have been reported: greater variability in the executive network and hyperactivation in the executive network, which account for less efficient and costly processes in the frontal cortex, and reduced deactivation in the default mode network. Nevertheless, these activation patterns are also observed with other factors, such as anticipatory stressors (worry, rumination or sleep loss), that might also cause reluctance to engage in physical ac...
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Papers by Nathalie André