Departmental Papers (ASC)
Title
Neural Activity During Health Messaging Predicts Reductions in Smoking Above and Beyond Self-Report
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
3-2011
Publication Source
Health Psychology
Volume
30
Issue
2
Start Page
177
Last Page
185
DOI
10.1037/a0022259
Abstract
Objective: The current study tested whether neural activity in response to messages designed to help smokers quit could predict smoking reduction, above and beyond self-report.
Design: Using neural activity in an a priori region of interest (a subregion of medial prefrontal cortex [MPFC]), in response to ads designed to help smokers quit smoking, we prospectively predicted reductions in smoking in a community sample of smokers (N = 28) who were attempting to quit smoking. Smoking was assessed via expired carbon monoxide (CO; a biological measure of recent smoking) at baseline and 1 month following exposure to professionally developed quitting ads. Results: A positive relationship was observed between activity in the MPFC region of interest and successful quitting (increased activity in MPFC was associated with a greater decrease in expired CO). The addition of neural activity to a model predicting changes in CO from self-reported intentions, self-efficacy, and ability to relate to the messages significantly improved model fit, doubling the variance explained (R²self-report = .15, R²self-report + neural activity = .35, R²change = .20).
Conclusion: Neural activity is a useful complement to existing self-report measures. In this investigation, we extend prior work predicting behavior change based on neural activity in response to persuasive media to an important health domain and discuss potential psychological interpretations of the brain–behavior link. Our results support a novel use of neuroimaging technology for understanding the psychology of behavior change and facilitating health promotion.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Copyright © 2011 by the American Psychological Association. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record.
Keywords
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), neuroimaging, behavior change, smoking
Recommended Citation
Falk, E. B., Berkman, E. T., Whalen, D., & Lieberman, M. D. (2011). Neural Activity During Health Messaging Predicts Reductions in Smoking Above and Beyond Self-Report. Health Psychology, 30 (2), 177-185. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022259
Included in
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons, Communication Commons, Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons
Date Posted: 23 May 2016
This document has been peer reviewed.