Rebranding Health as Well-Being with Michelle Segar

Rebranding Health As Well-being:
A science-based story about creating
sustainable behavior change
Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH
Director, The Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center
Faculty Associate, Center for Positive Organizations, Ross School of Business
University of Michigan
Author, “No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation
Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness” (Amacom, 2015)
Copyright © Michelle Segar 2015 . All rights reserved for full presentation.

Michelle’s Perspective:
20 Years of Research & Real Life

Sam and Hannah’s
Story
Copyright © Michelle Segar 2015 . All rights reserved.

TOMORROW
External
Feedback
TODAY
Internal
Feedback

Promoting
The Wrong “Whys”
Is Expensive

Part I: Motivation

MOTIVATION
is a result of
“The Why.”

“The Why”
Bagozzi, et al., (2003), J Behav Decis Mak 2003,16:273-295; Carver & Scheier, (1998) On the Self-regulation of Behavior;
Maes & Gebhardt (2000), Handbook of Self-regulation,343-368;Segar, et al., (2008) Women’s Health Issues,18,281-291.
Lutz, et al., (2008) Psychol Sport Exerc, 9, 559-575;Eccles (2005), Handbook of Competence and Motivation,105-121;
Teixeira, et al., IJBNPA (2012: 9); Sheldon & Elliot (1998) Personality and Social Psychology (24)
Not all Whys are created equal.
Reasons Motives
Goals

“I have
zero interest
in exercising”
“My doctor
told me
to exercise”
“I know
I should
exercise”
“Exercise
is valuable
to my
daily life”
“Exercise
feels good
to do”
Continuum of Motives
Feels
Good
I
Value
Should
Do
Outside
Pressure
No
Interest
Self-Determination Theory - Ryan & Deci (2000) American Psychologist, 55(1)
Higher Quality Motivation (FUEL)

“A better today”
EMOTIONAL
“A healthier tomorrow”
LOGICAL
Feels
Good
I
Value
Should
Do
Outside
Pressure
No
Interest
Higher Quality Motivation (FUEL)

But, People Do Value
“Better Health”

Value
Segar et al., (2012) IJBNPA, 8, 94

Value Behavior
Segar et al., (2012) IJBNPA, 8, 94

The Gap
Intentions Behavior
Rhodes & de Bruijn (2013) Br J Health Psychol, May;18(2):296-309
Decisions

Sustainable Behavior
is Made Up of
Consistent Decisions

TWO INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS
EMOTION
• Experiential
• Non-verbal
• Implicit
• “Impulsive”
• Fast (automatic)
• Effortless
Bargh, et al., (2001) JPSP, 81; Nosek, (2007) Current Directio,; Hofmann,, et. al, (2009) Health Psychology Review, 1-27.
LOGIC
• Analytic
• Verbal
• Explicit
• “Reflective”
• Slow
• Effortful
•FUTURE •NOW

Chang & Pham, 2013, Journal of Consumer Research, 40, 42-46
What drives
decision making
in the NOW?

Types of Self-Care Decisions?
• Leaving for exercise class or not.
• Picking a snack when hungry.
• At 11:30pm, deciding to stay on Facebook at or
go to sleep.

FEELINGS UTILITY
Which has more weight, our feelings
about the outcome or it’s usefulness?

Feelings Trump Utility
•Feelings are information.
•The closer the outcome is to the decision,
the more that feelings trump function.
• Leaving for exercise class or not.
• Picking a snack when hungry.
• At 11:30pm, deciding to stay on Facebook at or
go to sleep.
.

Emotional rewards
TRUMP
Logical Ones in Teens
Sirriyeh, Lawton & Ward (2010) British Journal of Health Psychology, 15, 825-840

Gellert, Ziegelmann, & Schwarzer (2012) Psychology & Health,(7):816-828.
Emotional rewards
TRUMP
Logical Ones In the Elderly

Landro (2012) The Wall Street Journal
Experiences/Emotional Rewards
TRUMP Logical Ones
Among Chronically Ill Populations
•"Quality of life…is the most important
factor in motivating people to deal with
an illness.”
• "People aren't motivated to follow their
clinical regimen if it doesn't improve the
way they function and…manage day to
day."
Noreen Clark (1943 –2013)
Past Director
Center for Managing Chronic Disease
University of Michigan

Feelings:
the
NOW
decider

“If you ask me why [I exercise], weight control
may be my first answer, followed by a desire to live
long and well….
…But that’s not what gets me out of bed before
dawn to bike to the Y ...
It’s how these activities make me feel: more
energized, more productive, more engaged, and
yes, happier -
Jane Brody (New York Times Columnist)
The New York Times (August, 2012) “Changing Our Tune on Exercise”, Interview with M.Segar
- better able to smell the roses and cope with
the inevitable frustrations of daily life.”

“Emotions powerfully,
predictably, and
persuasively influence
decision making.”
Lerner, Piercarlo Valdesolo, & Kassam, 2015, Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 799-823

Target the
Levers of Success:
The Right “Whys”

Reward
Substitution
Rath, et al., Well-being: The Five Essential Elements (2010); Ariely, Predictably Irrational (2009);
Ariely, http://bigthink.com/ideas/20760
Copyright © Michelle Segar

Part II: Prioritizing

Henderson, Knight, Richardson. J Posit Psychol 2013;8(4):322-36.

.
.

Broadens
Psychology and Physiology
• Regulates negative
emotional experiences
• Increases creativity and
flexible thinking
• Buffers depressive
symptoms
• Helps recovery from
stressors of daily life
Builds
Trajectories of Growth
• Relationships
• Resilience
• Better Health
Momentary Positive Emotions Broaden
and Build Better Health and Lives
Fredrickson, B. L. (2013), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 1-46; Fredrickson, B. L.
(2013), American Psychologist, in press; Fredrickson & Joiner (2002). Psychological Science, 13, 172-175

Promoting
The Right “Whys”

A New Tool to Help Your Scale and
Operationalize These Evidence-based Ideas
How to Operationalize and Scale These Ideas
to Create Sustainable Change

Our ultimate goal is not behavior change.
Instead, it’s helping people internalize the
VALUE of the behavior into their sense of
selves and daily lives.
For sustainable behavior change…

Low Quality
Motivation
High Quality
Motivation
High
Priority
Low
Priority
HOW
WHY
Sustainable
Change

The It’s Your Move!™ game board
Introduced in: No Sweat: How the Simple
Science of Motivation Can Bring
You a Lifetime of Fitness
Free color high-resolution poster
available soon on michellesegar.com

Create a New Social Norm and Conversation

The My Self-Care Hierarchy™
worksheet in: No Sweat: How
the Simple Science of
Motivation Can Bring
You a Lifetime of Fitness

Interview in Mindful Magazine (June, 2014)
At our company…..
We make sure people know that taking
care of themselves is a priority,
And that when they do that they’re
not just helping themselves but
helping our company as well.

"...We need this remarkable book." - Dan Pink (Drive)
"Michelle Segar has cracked the elusive code of behavior
change in health." - Jane Sarasohn-Kahn (Health care 2.0
expert)
"I'm going to buy copies of No Sweat for my entire team to
read." - Rex Wilcox (IMA Health Risk Management)
"This book is the ultimate resource for motivating others
and ourselves..” - Adam Grant (Give and Take)
“Segar shows us how to get better behavioral outcomes
with patients…” - Halley S. Faust, MD, MPH, MA (Past
President, American College of Preventive Medicine)
Available Now
MichelleSegar.com

Rebranding Health as Well-Being with Michelle Segar

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Rebranding Health as Well-Being with Michelle Segar