[행복연구센터](2024)Sound mind, sound body, or vice versa? Mind– body beliefs shape health behaviors

2025-02-24

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*연구과제명: Sound mind, sound body, or vice versa? Mind– body beliefs shape health behaviors

-연구 기관: 서울대학교 심리학과, 서울대학교 행복연구센터 (연구팀)
-저자: Xyle Ku, Mina Jyung, Jennifer Hyunji Kim, Incheol Cho


Abstract

The present research examines whether and how lay intuitive theory regarding the interconnectedness of the mind and body, which we term mind–body correspondence (MBC), predicts engagement in health behaviors. Specifically, we hypothesised that MBC would strengthen mind influences the body (MIB) and body influences the mind (BIM) beliefs, which would in turn increase mental and physical health behaviors, respectively. We tested associations among MBC (inde- pendent variable), MIB and BIM beliefs (proposed mediators), and mental and physical health behaviors (dependent variables) using correlational designs in Studies 1a to 1c. Results revealed positive associations between MBC and (1) MIB and BIM and (2) mental and physical health behaviors, as well as between MIB and mental health behaviors and between BIM and physical health behaviors. We then tested the full model in Study 2 with an experimental manipulation of MBC and in Study 3 with a two-wave longitudinal design. Both studies revealed significant indirect effects of MBC on mental health behaviors via MIB and on physical health behaviors via BIM. Together, our find- ings suggest that one can encourage mental health behaviors by emphasizing the mind-to-body connection and  physical  health  behaviors  by  highlighting  the body-to-mind connection.

KEYWORDS

lay theories, mental health behaviors, mind–body relationship, physical health behaviors