Date Approved

7-1-2025

Embargo Period

7-1-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. Clinical Psychology

Department

Clinical Psychology

College

College of Science & Mathematics

Advisor

Danielle Arigo, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

Katherine Gotham, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, Ph.D.

Keywords

cardiovascular disease;health information;information preferences;physical activity;social comparison;women's health

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Insufficient physical activity (PA) heightens the risk of chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly among women in midlife with conditions such as hypertension. Behavioral interventions often use psychoeducation and skills training to increase PA, but how individuals interact with health-relevant information and how this relates to daily PA behavior is unclear. Health information preferences vary between individuals, but whether they vary for the same individual across contexts has been understudied. In particular, the role of contextual factors in predicting social comparison (i.e., evaluating oneself relative to others to obtain information about oneself) are not well understood. The purpose of this thesis was to explore social comparison target selections as indicators of health information preferences, using data from a PA promotion tool for women in midlife with elevated CVD risk (N = 88). Women showed considerable daily variability in PA, satisfaction, and comparison target selections (ICCs < 0.634). Comparison target selections were predicted by women’s satisfaction with their step count from the previous day (ORs < 0.777 and ORs > 1.251, ps < 0.03). Satisfaction did not predict affect immediately after viewing the comparison target (srs < 0.011, ps > 0.80). Findings highlighted meaningful daily fluctuations and indicated the promise of tailoring digital interventions based on momentary information preferences.

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