Exploring how comparing ourselves to others can influence healthy behaviors.
Official title: A Paradigm Shift in Health Behavior Change: Understanding When and How Social Comparison Supports Healthy Behavior
Funded at Rowan University · NIH-10685733 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how comparing ourselves to others can influence our health habits, like exercising, and aims to find ways to use these comparisons to help people make healthier choices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rowan University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Glassboro, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $1,336,496 |
| NIH project number | 1DP2HL173857-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10685733 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults over 21 who are interested in improving their health behaviors, particularly in relation to physical activity.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not engaged in health behavior change or those with severe mental health issues may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of social comparison on health behaviors, particularly how prompts to evaluate ourselves against others can encourage or discourage healthy actions. By using innovative methods that capture real-life comparisons and embedding experimental designs, the research aims to uncover the complex mechanisms linking social comparison to behaviors like physical activity. The goal is to enhance our understanding of how these comparisons can be effectively utilized in health interventions to promote better health outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective health interventions that leverage social comparison to encourage healthier behaviors.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of social comparison in health behavior is well-known, this research introduces a novel approach that has not been extensively tested in this specific context.
Where this research is happening
-
Rowan University
Glassboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arigo, Danielle — Rowan University
- Study coordinator: Arigo, Danielle
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.