Normative communication processes and associated emotion in mobile health groups.

This project uses content analysis to investigate normative communication processes and associated emotion in two case studies. Individuals were formed into groups and used a mobile health application, VERA, to perform 'health behaviors' (such as indicating what they were eating or their exercise behaviors) for other group members via mobile posts. Initial results indicate that these performances tended to be more normatively descriptive than judgmental. In addition, in both cases comparisons between judgmental and descriptive performances showed more negative emotion with judgmental performances. Further analysis will involve determining normative performance patterns over time in the groups, as well as whether the performer's self report of emotion was similar to or different from the performed normative emotion. These findings will better our understanding of how norms are developed and used in group contexts, which could lead to more effective normative health interventions.