Self-Expansion and its Implications
for Heath Behaviors and Adherence
Xiaomeng (Mona) Xu, Ph.D.
3rd Thursday Talk
February 19th, 2015
What is Self-Expansion?
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Self-Expansion Model (Aron & Aron, 1986):
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One of the main intrinsic human motivations is to “expand the self” by
attaining resources, perspectives, and identities that facilitate
accomplishing goals
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Experiences that expand a person’s sense of self are characterized by
novelty, excitement, interest and/or challenge (subjective)
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Self-expansion is typically experienced as rewarding and often
accompanied by positive affect (although this is not necessary)
Love as self-expansion
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Self-expansion motivation is one reason why we pursue (and
maintain) social relationships, experiences etc.
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Falling in love is a rapid and intense form of self-expansion
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Relationship initiation and maintenance can be highly rewarding
because of excitement, novelty, and interest/challenge of self-expansion
Inclusion of other in the self
Increases to self-concept
What does love self-expansion look like in the brain?
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Aron et al. (2005) first fMRI study of early-stage passionate love
Xu et al. (2011) replication and first fMRI study of early-stage
passionate love in a non-Western culture
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Xu et al: 18 Han Chinese students (10 women) from Beijing.
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Xu et al. Age: 19-25 years old (M = 21.6)
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Aron et al had 17 students (10 women) from Stony Brook
Aron et al. Age: 18-26 (M = 20.6)
Xu et al. Relationship length: 1 - 13 months (M = 6.6 months)
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Aron et al.: 1-17 months (M = 7.4 months)
In-scanner Stimuli
8690
7962
Beloved (30s)
Countback (40s)
Neutral (30s)
Countback (20s)
Sample block (2 minutes)
Study had 6 blocks (total of 12 minutes)
Order counterbalanced
Aron et al. vs. Xu et al. VTA activation
A: Beloved – Neutral (Aron et al.)
B: Beloved – Avg. Countbacks (Aron et al.)
Aron, Fisher, Mashek, Strong, Li, & Brown, 2005, Journal of
Neurophysiology
C: Beloved – Neutral (Xu et al.)
C
L
D
L
D: Beloved – Avg. Countbacks (Xu et al.)
Xu, Aron, Brown, Cao, Feng, & Weng, 2011; Human Brain Mapping
VTA
VTA
Gender universality & Sexuality universality as well: Zeki &
Romaya, 2010 PLoS ONE
Functions of VTA/caudate
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Dopamine-rich areas
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VTA and caudate play a major role in reward and motivation in
mammalian brain (demonstrated by electrophysiological, lesion,
fMRI, drug infusion, & self-stimulation studies)
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VTA is involved in all drugs of abuse
Self-expansion and addiction
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Dopamine-rich reward/motivation regions of the brain
associated with love self-expansion overlap with those
associated with addiction (e.g. nicotine, cocaine etc)
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Can self-expansion reward replace for substance reward?
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Self-expansion might be particularly helpful because in
addition to being rewarding, it’s linked to reductions in pain
perception (Younger et al., 2010)
Self-expansion in smoking abstinence and cessation
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2 websurveys, community samples:
74 current smokers with at least 1 serious quit attempt
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min cigs/day = 10 (M = 15.5)
mean age was 29.59 years (SD=12.45, 18-78)
# days best quit attempt (M = 202, SD = 430)
66 ex-smokers
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min cigs/day when smoking = 10 (M = 13.07)
mean age 23.18 (SD = 7.42, 17-56)
# days since last cigarette (M = 708, SD = 1048)
Self-expansion in smoking abstinence and cessation
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Participants reported on the 2 months leading up to their most
successful quit attempt
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Checklist of 49 potentially self-expanding experiences, adopted
from Life Experiences Survey (Sarason, Johnson, & Siegel,
1978)
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E.g. Taking a trip, making a new friend, having an important spiritual
experience etc.
Self-expansion in smoking abstinence and cessation
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Ex-smokers experienced more self-expanding events prior to their
(successful) quit attempt 5
4
3
***
Ex-smokers
Current smokers
2
1
***p<.001
0
# of self-expanding events
prior to quit attempt
Xu, Floyd, Westmaas, & Aron, 2010. Addictive Behaviors.
Self-expansion in smoking abstinence and cessation
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Even among current smokers (whose quit attempts ultimately
failed): number of self-expanding events positively correlated with
length of abstinence: r=0.39, p=0.001
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Potential for future intervention
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What is the mechanism?
Xu, Floyd, Westmaas, & Aron, 2010. Addictive Behaviors.
Self-expansion and cue-reactivity
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Does self-expansion influence cue-reactivity among overnight
abstinent smokers?
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Dissertation fMRI studies:
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Study 1: using early-stage romantic love paradigm
Study 2: community sample, longer term relationships, experimentally
manipulating non-love self-expansion (cooperative video game)
Study 1: early-stage love and smoking
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18 male smokers in Beijing in the early stage of a relationship and
intensely in love with a non-smoker.
Provided pictures of beloved & neutral acquaintance (same sex as
beloved)
Abstained from smoking overnight (verified CO ppm measures)
Same paradigm as love studies but addition of object image next
to face image
Region of Interest Analyses
Analyses targeting regions relating to cigarette cue-reactivity and reward:
Main effect in caudate for partner conditions
Interaction in Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC):
Less activation when viewing cigarette cue next to partner (vs acquaintance)
Xu, Wang, Lei, Aron, Westmaas, & Weng, 2012 PLoS ONE
Study 2: long term relationships and self-expansion
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20 Long Island smokers (community sample, in relationship at
least 2 years).
Abstained from smoking overnight (verified CO measure)
While in scanner, played blocks of a two-player cooperative
game (partner played outside scanner on computer).
Game: 2 (SE or not) x 2 (cig cue or not)
SE conditions: more novel, challenging, and exciting (Non SE
conditions were rated as equally pleasant)
Condition examples
SE & Cig cue
SE & no cig cue
Condition examples
No SE & Cig cue
NSE & no cig cue
Study 2: Region of interest analyses
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Using cigarette cue-reactivity regions from Kuhn & Gallinat,
2011 meta-analysis:
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ventral striatum; anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); amygdala; temporoparietal junction (TPJ)
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Additional ROI: caudate
Study 2: Results
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Main effect of self-expansion on caudate activation (p = .001)
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Comparing caudate activation in SE conditions vs No SE conditions
Interaction effect of self-expansion and cigarette cue in the
TPJ (p = .032) and marginally in amygdala (p = .099) such
that there was less activation in these regions during SE &
Cig conditions than No SE & Cig conditions
Xu, Aron, Westmaas, Wang, & Sweet (2014) PLoS ONE
Study 2 results con’t
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Furthermore, activation in TPJ was correlated with excitement of SE
conditions above and beyond NSE conditions (r = -.61, p = .012)
Self-expansion at the individual level
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Self-expansion also occurs outside of relationships
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Current research on increases in self-concept size, self-esteem/selfefficacy, motivation, effort, and consequences in the workplace etc.
Because it is rooted in approach motivation (Mattingly,
McIntyre, & Lewandowski, 2012), self-expansion leads to
increased effort and persistence on subsequent tasks
(Mattingly & Lewandowski, 2012)
Self-expansion and weight control
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Shape Up Rhode Island (SURI) 2012
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Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University & The Miriam Hospital
12-week internet based state-wide campaign
 Join teams that compete on steps, exercise, and weight loss
 Participants receive pedometer, access to a reporting website,
weekly newsletters
 Campaign increases steps and weight-loss, potentially selfexpanding experience
SURI 2012 research study
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268 participants (BMI ≥25) who received:
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Weight Loss 101, given calorie and activity guide
Research website for additional monitoring along with 12 online video
lessons recorded by experts
Lessons based on Diabetes Prevention Program (topics included selfmonitoring, reducing dietary fat intake, problem solving, stimulus control)
Is self-expansion associated with better adherence and outcomes?
SURI 2012 research study
Weight and height measured at baseline, weight was re-measured at
12-weeks (89% retention; N = 239)
 Adherence measures: frequency of logins and viewing videos,
frequency of self-monitoring on website
 Self-expansion composite at baseline and12-weeks:
“How much do you feel like you’ve grown as a person over the past 12
weeks?” (0– 6)
“Over the past 12 weeks, how _____ has your life been?”
Exciting, boring (reverse coded), interesting (0-6)
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Self-expansion and SURI 2012
No differences on baseline self-expansion by BMI or other
demographics
 SE significantly increased over the course of the 12 weeks;
paired t = 6.55 (238), p <.001
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Self-expansion assessed at 12-weeks (controlling for baseline SE)
was significantly correlated with % Weight Loss (WL)
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pr = .16, p = .015
Self-expansion and SURI 2012
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SE and reaching clinically significant 5% WL
SE assessed at 12-weeks
6
5
**p = .002
4
3
2
1
0
Reached 5% WL
Did not reach 5% WL
Self-expansion and SURI 2012
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Self-expansion associated with self-monitoring adherence:
Self-expansion and physical activity in SURI 2012
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At baseline and post-treatment, participants completed the
Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire (Paffenbarger, Wing, & Hyde, 1978)
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Assesses minutes of physical activity over the prior week
Baseline self-expansion was significantly positively correlated with
total baseline activity minutes r(239) = .11, p = .048.
Post-intervention self-expansion was significantly positively related
to total post-intervention activity minutes r(239) = .21, p <.001.
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Remained significant if control for baseline activity minutes pr (236) = .21,
p <.001
Fitbit Study (MW CTR-IN pilot study)
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Self-expansion is associated with greater self-reported physical
activity (PA). What about objectively measured PA?
What does this look like on a daily basis? SURI 2012 measured
self-expansion only at 2 timepoints, 12 weeks apart.
How does the link between self-expansion and PA function?
Sequentially? In parallel? Bidirectionally? Lagged?
General self-expansion seems to be linked with PA. What about
PA-specific self-expansion?
Fitbit Study (MW CTR-IN pilot study)
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50 community participants from Pocatello & surrounding areas
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Baseline assessment including weight and height and multiple
questionnaires (self-expansion, physical activity etc.)
Wear a Fitbit One physical activity monitor for 4 weeks
Complete daily questionnaires for 4 weeks (including SE questions both
global and specific to PA)
Follow-up assessment
Fitbit Study (MW CTR-IN pilot study)
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Wave 1 (N = 10) in November-December
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Wave 2 (N = 40) Feb-March
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9 out of 10 participants wore their Fitbit on all 28 days (the final
participant wore it for 25 out of 28 days)
Participants completing an average of 27.4 days of questionnaires out of
the 28 days (97.86% adherence)
Currently ongoing!
Data will inform an R21 application to test feasibility of selfexpansion intervention to increase PA
Self-expansion and health implications
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Self-expansion plays an important role in health behaviors & may
be especially fruitful for informing interventions:
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People are intrinsically motivated to seek out self-expansion
Self-expansion is naturally-occurring and can be easily personalized
Because it is linked with approach motivation, increased effort, and is
often rewarding, may increase compliance and adherence
Does not require equipment, drugs, or medical staff
Potentially cost-effective and able to be disseminated to rural and low
SES areas
Acknowledgements: Funding
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Mountain West Clinical Translational Research – Infrastructure Network (MW CTR-IN) Pilot Grant
[National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NIH]
Idaho State University Startup Funds & College of Arts & Letters Course Release program
2T32HL076134-06 (Postdoc Training Grant) from NHLBI
F31DA024941-01A2 (NRSA) from NIDA
APA dissertation research award
APF/COGDOP graduate research scholarship
Stony Brook University Psychology dept. retirees’ dissertation fellowship
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BCS-0937559 from NSF (PI: Arthur Aron)
R18 DK083248-01A1 from NIDDK (PI: Rena Wing)
1U01CA150387-01 from NCI (PI: Rena Wing)
P50CA084719-080002 from NCI (PI: Lawrence Sweet)
R01HL084178-01A1 from NHLBI (PI: Sweet)
Acknowledgements: Collaborators & Students
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Naomi Adams (Idaho State University)
Arthur Aron (Stony Brook University)
Katherine Boguszewski (University of Virginia)
Lucy Brown (Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University)
Guikang Cao (Southwest University)
Danielle Correll* (Idaho State University)
Tingyong Feng (Southwest University)
Anna Floyd (Regis University)
Grant Harville (Idaho State University)
Tricia Leahey (University of Connecticut)
Wei Lei (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Ashley Miller* (Idaho State University)
Kimberly Kent (The Miriam Hospital)
Andrew Seiden (The Miriam Hospital)
Lawrence Sweet (University of Georgia)
Rick Tivis (Idaho State University)
Samantha Tupy* (Idaho State University)
Jessica Unick (Alpert Medical School, Brown University)
Jin Wang (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
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Xuchu Weng (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
J. Lee Westmaas (American Cancer Society)
Rena Wing (Alpert Medical School, Brown University)
Thank you!
Questions? Comments?
Xiaomeng (Mona) Xu: XuXiao@ISU.edu
Lab Website: http://xulabisu.weebly.com/