Research-Thesis: Understanding the influence of user characteristics in the exhibition of negative psychological reactions and negative health and social outcomes associated with behavior change technique features in diet-tracking applications

Abstract

This research thesis examines the psychological implications of behavior change techniques (BCTs) embedded within diet-tracking applications and the role of user characteristics in shaping these effects. As BCT features become increasingly prevalent in digital health technologies, concerns have emerged regarding their potential unintended psychological consequences. This study investigates how feedback and self-monitoring features, as well as goal setting and planning features, may influence users’ psychological reactions, particularly stress and body appreciation. In addition, this research evaluates whether these psychological reactions may contribute to behaviors associated with eating disorder tendencies, such as psychosocial impairment and compulsive exercise, in the context of diet-tracking application use. Particular attention is given to the moderating role of user characteristics throughout these relationships.

To investigate these effects, a quantitative survey was distributed among users of diet-tracking applications through various online communities. The collected data were analyzed using correlation, moderation, mediation, and factor analyses.

The findings revealed no significant results supporting the direct influence of the investigated BCT features on users’ psychological reactions. However, significant relationships were observed between psychological reactions and psychosocial impairment, as higher stress and lower body appreciation were associated with greater negative outcomes. In contrast, these psychological reactions were not significantly associated with compulsive exercise behaviors. The analyses also suggest that user characteristics play a key role in shaping several relationships examined throughout the study. Overall, this thesis contributes to the growing literature on the psychological and behavioral implications of digital health technologies and highlights the importance of developing more personalized and psychologically sustainable diet-tracking applications.