The Roles of Age-Morphing Technology in Enhancing Individuals’ Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Intentions: The Moderating Effects of Self-Esteem

Abstract

This study examined whether exposing individuals to an age-morphed image of their future selves has positive impacts on physical activity and healthy eating intentions depending on the level of self-esteem. In this study, a 2 (type of future self: age-morphed image vs. simple imagination of future self) × 2 (self-esteem: low vs. high) experimental design was used, where the type of future self was manipulated while self-esteem was measured. The results suggested that individuals with high self-esteem exposed to future selves via age-morphing technology more concretely perceived their future selves and thus showed greater intention to engage in physical activity in the future than those who simply imagined their future selves. Meanwhile, the positive effects of an age-morphed image on future intention to engage in physical activity were not found for low self-esteem individuals. Moreover, the age-morphing technology did not impact individuals’ healthy eating intentions.

Keywords:

• Age-morphing technology
• self-esteem
• physical activity intention
• healthy eating intention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hyo Jin Kang

Hyo Jin Kang is a graduate student in the College of Sport Science at the Sunkyunkwan University. Her research focuses on how the use of face-morphing technology impacts individuals’ health-related behaviors.

Gong Zhuo

Gong Zhuo is a graduate student in the College of Sport Science at the Sungkyunkwan University. Her research focuses on consumers’ decision making for new technological products in the context of sports.

Wonseok Jang

Wonseok Jang is an associate professor in the College of Sport Science at the Sungkyunkwan University. His research focuses on human–artificial intelligence interaction in the context of sports.