Embodied cognition and health persuasion: Facilitating intention-behavior consistency via motor manipulations

The present research examines health persuasion from an embodied cognition perspective by proposing that engaging the motor system during health persuasion will lead Individuals to engage in healthier behaviour and have greater consistency between then intentions and behavior In two Studies, participants watched a health video while either Imaging themselves performing the behavior or imaging themselves performing the behavior while also engaging their motor systems with minimal, relevant behaviors In Study 1. after watching a flossing video, females (but not males) flossed more times in the following week after touching a floss and In Study 2. all participants (males and females) exercised mole in the week after watching all exercise video while walking in place in both experiments, participants who engaged the motor system had stronger intention-behaviour consistency than those who merely Imagined themselves performing the health behavior Implications of the findings are discussed for theories of embodied cognition, intention-behavior consistency, and health persuasion (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved