Self-Tracking in Online Groups to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: The Effects of Demographic Similarity, Social Comparison, and Performance Discrepancy

• In Event: Digital Technology for Health: Self-Tracking, Social Media, and Virtual Games

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the effects of online groups and group characteristics on promoting fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) for young adults. During a 4-week web-based intervention, 113 college students self-tracked their FVC either individually or in online groups characterized by a 2 (demographic similarity: demographically similar vs. demographically diverse) × 2 (social modeling: incremental-change vs. ideal-change) experimental design. Each online group consisted of one focal participant and three confederates as group members whose demographics and FVC were manipulated to create the four treatment groups. The results showed that individuals who self-tracked in an online group consumed more fruits and vegetables than individuals who self-tracked alone. Within the online-group conditions, neither demographic similarity nor social modeling had a significant main effect on FVC. However, performance discrepancy between the focal participant and other group members had a significant effect on the focal participant’s FVC, controlling for the baseline FVC and other variables. A mediation test further revealed that a participant’s low performance discrepancy from other group members would lead to downward contrast, which in turn, increased the participant’s FVC over time. Implications to design effective online groups for promoting FVC were discussed.

Authors

• Jingbo Meng, Michigan State U

• Wei Peng, Michigan State U

• Soo Yun Shin, Michigan State U

• Minwoong Chung, Michigan State U

• Minyoung Choi, MSU