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Cognitive Fatigue, Humor, and Physical Activity: A Field Experiment Testing Whether Humorous Messages Promote Walking
Michelle Symons1, Mohammad Hasan Rahmani2, Konrad Rudnicki1
1Department of Communication Studies, University of Antwerp.
Health Communication
|November 14, 2024
Summary
Humorous messages effectively promote physical activity (PA) in individuals experiencing cognitive fatigue. This study found humorous messages were more resilient than nonhumorous ones, maintaining walking behavior without negative impact.
Area of Science:
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Digital Health Interventions
Background:
- Humorous messages are effective in health interventions, but their role in promoting physical activity (PA) is understudied.
- Cognitive fatigue can impact engagement with health interventions, potentially affecting message effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of humorous messages in a smartphone-based intervention for promoting walking behavior.
- To examine the influence of cognitive fatigue on the efficacy of humorous versus nonhumorous messages for physical activity promotion.
Main Methods:
- A 2-week smartphone-based intervention delivered humorous, nonhumorous, or mixed messages (memes) to 57 female participants.
- Cognitive fatigue was measured daily, and walking behavior was tracked.
- Panel linear regression models were used to analyze the interaction between cognitive fatigue and message type.
Main Results:
- A significant positive interaction was found between cognitive fatigue and message type.
- Humorous messages demonstrated resilience to cognitive fatigue, maintaining walking behavior.
- Nonhumorous messages had a detrimental impact on walking behavior in cognitively fatigued individuals.
Conclusions:
- Humorous messages are a robust motivational tool for promoting physical activity, especially for individuals experiencing cognitive fatigue.
- Interventions should consider the differential effects of cognitive fatigue on message effectiveness to tailor strategies.
- Humor can be a valuable component in designing effective digital health interventions for physical activity.
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