Construing action abstractly and experiencing autonomy: Implications for physical activity and diet

Mentally representing action in terms of abstract goals rather than concrete procedures has been found to facilitate self-regulation, including meeting health goals. The present research examined whether autonomous motivation mediates the association between abstract thinking and health behavior engagement. We hypothesized that abstract (vs. concrete) thinking relates to viewing oneself as behaving autonomously, which, in turn, is positively associated with engaging in health behaviors. Two studies tested whether abstract thinking is associated with greater health behavior engagement and whether autonomous motivation statistically mediates this association. In Study 1, abstract thinking was associated positively with physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. In Study 2, supporting pre-registered hypotheses, there was a significant indirect effect of abstract thinking on vigorous physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake through autonomous motivation. Whereas past research has emphasized that abstract thinking orients attention towards the value of broader goals, this research establishes that autonomous motivation helps explain associations between abstract thinking and health behavior engagement.