Understanding how social comparison affects healthy behavior
Official title: A Paradigm Shift in Health Behavior Change: Understanding When and How Social Comparison Supports Healthy Behavior
Funded at Rowan University · NIH-11062848 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new funding opportunity will study how comparing ourselves to others influences our daily health choices and how digital health tools using leaderboards can help or hinder healthy habits.
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, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $929,997 |
| NIH project number | 4DP2HL173857-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11062848 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21+ who are at risk for or living with chronic disease and who use digital health tools.
✕Less likely to help
Participants not using digital health interventions or not engaged in daily health behavior tasks may see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This grant explores how social comparison shapes health behaviors in adults with chronic disease risk. It uses ambulatory and naturalistic assessments to observe real-life behavior and adds a randomized experiments component to identify cause-and-effect pathways. The goal is to uncover how comparisons to others drive or derail actions like physical activity, with implications for digital health interventions. By focusing on everyday life rather than static snapshots, the research aims to improve how health behavior tools motivate lasting changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to more effective health apps and interventions that use social comparison in a way that reliably supports healthier choices.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows mixed results; this project seeks to clarify causal pathways and improve upon prior observational findings.
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.