Social Influences on Health Behavior: Physical Activity across Social Network Influences Neural Responses to Health Messages and Behavior Change

• In Event: HIGH-DENSITY: Cognitive Processing, Social Influence, and Social Networks

Abstract

Brain activity in the valuation system in response to persuasive messages can predict later behavior change, though little is know about influences of social factors. We propose that group-based social network norms can change value related processing in brain during exposure to persuasive messages. Sedentary adults provided information about the physical activity levels in their social network, and neural responses to health messages promoting physical activity in an fMRI scanner. We then objectively logged their physical activity for a month using accelerometers. We found that perceived levels of physical activity within individual's social network were significantly related to the brain's value network activations (within ventromedial-prefrontal cortex). Further, vmPFC activity was related to later behavior change. We found a marginally significant indirect effect, via vmPFC, of social network norms on decreasing sedentary behavior. These results provide new links between group-based behavioral metrics and neural receptivity to messaging and behavior change.

Authors

• Prateekshit Pandey, Annenberg School for Communication

• Yoona Kang, U of Pennsylvania

• Nicole Cooper, University of Pennsylvania

• Christin Scholz, University of Amsterdam/ Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR)

• Matthew Brook O'Donnell, U of Pennsylvania

• Emily Falk, U of Pennsylvania