Research Article

Public commitment as a motivator for weight loss

  1. Prashanth U. Nyer1,*,
  2. Stephanie Dellande2

Article first published online: 8 DEC 2009

DOI: 10.1002/mar.20316

Issue

Psychology and Marketing

Psychology and Marketing

Volume 27, Issue 1, pages 1–12, January 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Nyer, P. U. and Dellande, S. (2010), Public commitment as a motivator for weight loss. Psychol. Mark., 27: 1–12. doi: 10.1002/mar.20316

Author Information

  1. 1

    Chapman University

  2. 2

    University of New Orleans

*Associate Professor of Marketing, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 DEC 2009
  2. Article first published online: 8 DEC 2009

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Abstract

Many long-term services, e.g., weight-loss programs, require that customers comply with instructions, provide the inputs, and thus co-create a major portion of the service. This article investigates the role of public commitment in influencing motivation and behavior in a weight-loss setting. The role of susceptibility to normative influence (SNI) is also examined. The publicness with which a commitment to weight loss is made has a significant and favorable impact on long-term weight-loss compliance behavior. Short- and long-term public commitment resulted in higher levels of weight-loss motivation and higher levels of weight loss. Weight-loss motivation partly mediates the effect of public commitment on weight loss, while SNI moderates the effect of public commitment on weight loss. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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