Jon May

University of Plymouth | UoP · School of Psychology

Background In common with the general population, nursing students struggle to live a healthy lifestyle. Aims To recruit students in a behaviour change intervention, using the COM-B model of behaviour change to understand engagement. Methods Nursing students were invited to complete an online survey assessing height, weight, BMI, physical activit...

Imagery training, specifically visual and kinesthetic imagery training, is a well-established method of increasing performance in sport. However, some athletes may have impoverished imagery abilities (e.g., aphantasia; low visual imagery) which may hinder performance increments that benefit others. We administered the Plymouth Sensory Imagery Quest...

Introduction Pornography use is a common sexual activity with potentially addictive use in some people. Even though craving is being recognized as an important characteristic of addictive behaviors, there is a lack of a specific validated instrument measuring the pornography craving experience. The present study aimed at adapting and validating an...

Pornography use remains a common sexual activity with potentially addictive use in part of some people. Even though craving is being recognized as an important characteristic of addictive behaviors, we note a lack of a specific validated instrument measuring the pornography craving experience. The present study aimed at adapting and validating an i...

Gender-role journey (GRJ) theory (O’Neil, 2015; O’Neil & Egan, 1992) provides a framework for exploring men’s transition from accepting traditional gender roles toward pro-feminist activism and gender-role transcendence on a bipolar continuum. Previous research findings suggest that men may experience distress and ambivalence when questioning tradi...

A review of 29 papers from the task switching literature reveals no relationship between the time taken to repeat a task and the additional time taken when switching between tasks (switch cost). A visual discrimination task and a schematic judgement task differing in complexity according to a principled model of cognition show that the endogenous c...

Task switching studies to date have used simple, single step tasks. Two experiments show that switch costs can also be found when participants are asked to switch between complex tasks that consist of four subtasks, where each subtask requires participants to respond to one of eight binary dimensions of a compound stimulus. In Experiment 1, a large...

Background and Objectives: People often re-live memories by talking about them. Verbal thinking is usually less emotive than imagery-based thinking but it is not known if this finding generalises to recollection. We tested if narrating memories aloud reduces their affective charge compared with recollecting them using imagery. Methods: Participants...

Background Many preregistration student nurses tend to be overweight or obese and have unhealthy lifestyles. Aims This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of these issues, to identify barriers to adopting a healthy lifestyle as well as potential solutions, and to explore the use of smartphone health apps. Methods An online questionnaire examin...

BACKGROUND Multimorbidity, which is associated with significant negative outcomes for individuals and healthcare systems, is increasing in the UK. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the risk factors (including health, behaviour, and environment) for multimorbidity over time. An interdisciplinary approach is essential, as data science, arti...

Background Multimorbidity, which is associated with significant negative outcomes for individuals and health care systems, is increasing in the United Kingdom. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the risk factors (including health, behavior, and environment) for multimorbidity over time. An interdisciplinary approach is essential, as data s...

Motor imagery when coupled with motivational and cognitive factors has been shown to enhance multiple aspects of sports performance. This paper reviews existing imagery approaches, and proposes a method based on applied applications, intended to increase short and long-term motivation. Behavioural change is achieved by primarily using motivational...

When investigating issues surrounding young people it is necessary to involve them in the discussion of the topic. It is also necessary that the inexperienced or student researcher is equipped with the skills needed to navigate ethical quandaries that may arise. This article considers some of the ethical issues that can arise for novice researchers...

This study investigated flow experience during group collaborations of creative dance improvisation, where group flow was defined as periods when most members of a group reported a flow experience. Sixteen dancers took part in the experimental sessions, performing improvisational tasks in groups of four. We chose two different types of dance task,...

Purpose Rates of mental ill-health among postgraduate research students (PGRs) are alarmingly high. PGRs face unique challenges and stigma around accessing support. The purpose of this paper is to introduce The Researcher Toolkit: a novel, open-source, preventative approach to PGR mental health. The Toolkit empowers PGRs and promotes positive resea...

Objectives This study evaluates ultra-marathon runners’ use of goal-setting, self-talk, and imagery as strategies to help them through the challenge of long-distance running. Methods In stage one, thirty-one self-professed non-runners were recruited and received motivational interviewing (MI) in a group setting, examining their motivation to get h...

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a debilitating condition affecting the autonomic nervous system that causes a series of symptoms, such as blurred vision, brain fog, chest pain, headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, syncope, and rapid heart rate. These symptoms can lead to diminished daily activity, daytime fatigue, poor sleep...

Objectives The PETTLEP model is one of the most cited forms of imagery training to enhance sporting performance, but there is limited evidence for its long-term effectiveness and it is often compared to non-imagery controls rather than other imagery techniques. We compared PETTLEP with an imagery-based behavioural change intervention, Functional Im...

Objective: The current study investigated whether people are less likely to be smokers when they live in greener neighbourhoods, and whether such an association is attributable to lower rates of ever-smoking and/or higher rates of smoking cessation. Method: Using a representative sample of the adult population of England (N = 8,059), we investig...

In a longitudinal study, 240 undergraduate dance students were recruited to assess the effectiveness of a series of workshops designed to develop metacognitive skills in use of mental imagery to support choreographic creativity. The workshops were based upon a theoretical model of mental representations and cognition. The students also completed a...

University-Industry Collaboration (UIC) is beneficial in many ways, but despite the endorsements for these collaborations, execution is challenging. To identify the benefits industrial collaborators gain from UIC, and the barriers that might prevent UICs from succeeding, this paper reports five case studies from EPIC, a project tasked with developi...

Ambiguity is fundamental to modern psychology, as the mind has to identify meaning in ambiguous information all of the time. Sensation provides us with noisy information that could represent many different states of the world, and our perceptual processes present us with one interpretation, which we believe to be real. From visual and auditory perc...

Motivational Interviewing is a widely used counselling technique. A fundamental principle of this technique is that hearing oneself argue for change strengthens motivation. This study presents the first analysis of participants' dialogue with an automated motivational interviewer. The objective was to explore communication with, and perceptions of,...

Objectives The Motivational Thought Frequency (MTF) Scale has previously demonstrated a coherent four‐factor internal structure (Intensity, Incentives Imagery, Self‐Efficacy Imagery, Availability) in control of alcohol and effective self‐management of diabetes. The current research tested the factorial structure and concurrent associations of versi...

The role of flow experience in a group creativity task, contemporary dance improvisation, was explored through qualitative content analysis. Our focus was upon the creative process itself, rather than upon creative outcomes. Six dancers took part in an improvisation workshop, reflecting on their creative practice and any associated flow. We conduct...

Against the backdrop of an increase in reported hate crimes, we present the development of a U.K.-focussed instrument designed to evaluate the nature of public beliefs about hate crime, legislation, offenders and victims. In Study 1, 438 participants completed an Anglicized version of the Hate Crime Beliefs Scale (HCBS). Factor analyses revealed th...

This paper presents a novel investigation of a conceptual model, proposing that increased nature exposure may be associated with lower cravings, through reductions in negative affect. A cross-sectional online survey (N = 149) provided an initial exploration of the relationships between various aspects of nature exposure, craving and negative affect...

Growth mindsets were introduced into mainstream education in 2006, with little research supporting mindset measurement or evaluation of such interventions to enhance learning. The Mindset Measurement Scale (MMS) is a new instrument enabling the assessment of 9 mindset sub-domains for personality based on education. 122 (Mage=16.3) participants atte...

Objective: Functional Imagery Training (FIT) is a new brief motivational intervention based on the Elaborated Intrusion theory of desire. FIT trains the habitual use of personalised, affective, goal-directed mental imagery to plan behaviours, anticipate obstacles, and mentally try out solutions from previous successes. It is delivered in the clien...

Craving for alcohol or the strong desire or urge to consume it, is a diagnostic marker of alcohol use disorder. Within clinical settings, appropriate craving assessment can inform diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and evaluation of treatment outcome. A number of craving instruments are available which complicates measure selection. Important conside...

In contemporary dance, experts evaluate creativity in competitions, auditions, and performances, typically through ratings of choreography or improvisation. Audiences also implicitly evaluate choreographic creativity, so dancers’ livelihoods also hinge upon the opinions of non-expert observers. However, some argue that the abstract and often pedest...

Functional imagery training (FIT) extends multisensory imagery training by involving athletes with goal setting and appraisal. The authors measured the effect of FIT on 24 professional soccer players’ grit, a personality trait associated with perseverance for a long-term goal. In a stepped-wedge design, an immediate (n = 9) and a delayed (n = 10) g...

Introduction: Elaborated Intrusion (EI) Theory holds that both functional and dysfunctional motivational cognitions are characterized by their intensity, cognitive availability and involvement of imagery, and can be assessed in terms of their frequency and cross-sectional nature. Recently published data on the Motivational Thought Frequency (MTF-A...

Objective: Effective motivational support is needed in chronic disease management. This study was undertaken to improve a novel type 2 diabetes motivational intervention, (functional imagery training, FIT) based on participant feedback and results from a self-management randomised controlled trial. Design: Qualitative inductive thematic analysis of...

Virtual reality (VR) distraction has become increasingly available in health care contexts and is used in acute pain management. However, there has been no systematic exploration of the importance of the content of VR environments. Two studies tested how interacting with nature VR influenced experienced and recollected pain after 1 week. Study 1 (n...

Background: Two thirds of UK adults are overweight or obese and at increased risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Basic public health support for weight loss comprises information about healthy eating and lifestyle, but internet and mobile applications (apps) create possibilities for providing long-term mo...

Purpose: There is a need for improved measurement of motivation for diabetes self-care. The Elaborated Intrusion Theory of Desire offers a coherent framework for understanding and identifying the cognitive-affective events that constitute the subjective experience of motivation and may therefore inform the development of such an instrument. Recent...

Introduction: The Elaborated Intrusion Theory of Desire holds that desires for functional and dysfunctional goals share a common form. Both are embodied cognitive events, characterised by affective intensity and frequency. Accordingly, we developed scales to measure motivational cognitions for functional goals (Motivational Thought Frequency, MTF;...

Functional Imagery Training (FIT) is a new theory-based, manualized intervention that trains positive goal imagery. Multisensory episodic imagery of proximal personal goals is elicited and practised, to sustain motivation and compete with less functional cravings. This study tested the impact of a single session of FIT plus a booster phone call on...

Two experiments demonstrate that a list-like database interface which benefits from the persistence of contextual information does not show the same degree of benefit of collocating objects over display changes that has been previously observed in a map-searching study. This provides some support for the claim that the nature of the task must be ta...

Most research on cognitive processes in craving has been carried out in the laboratory and focuses on food craving. This study extends laboratory findings to real world settings and cravings for drugs or activities as well as food. Previous laboratory research has found that playing Tetris reduces craving strength. The present study used an ecologi...

Introduction: Ten years after the publication of Elaborated Intrusion (EI) Theory, there is now substantial research into its key predictions. The distinction between intrusive thoughts, which are driven by automatic processes, and their elaboration, involving controlled processing, is well established. Desires for both addictive substances and ot...

Elaborated Intrusion Theory (EI) postulates that imagery is central to craving, therefore a visually based task should decrease craving and craving imagery. This study provides the first laboratory test of this hypothesis in naturally occurring, rather than artificially induced, cravings. Participants reported if they were experiencing a craving an...

May, Dean and Barnard (2003) used a theoretically based model to argue that objects in a wide range of interfaces should be collocated following screen changes such as a zoom-in to detail. Many existing online maps do not follow this principle, but move a clicked point to the centre of the subsequent display, leaving the user looking at an unrelate...

Dental anxiety and anxiety-related avoidance of dental care create significant problems for patients and the dental profession. Distraction interventions are used in daily medical practice to help patients cope with unpleasant procedures. There is evidence that exposure to natural scenery is beneficial for patients and that the use of virtual reali...

Dental anxiety creates significant problems for both patients and the dental profession. Some distraction interventions are already used by healthcare professionals to help patients cope with unpleasant procedures. The present study is novel because it a) builds on evidence that natural scenery is beneficial for patients, and b) uses a Virtual Real...

Research into craving is hampered by lack of theoretical specification and a plethora of substance-specific measures. This study aimed to develop a generic measure of craving based on Elaborated Intrusion (EI) Theory. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) examined whether a generic measure replicated the 3-factor structure of the Alcohol Craving Exper...

Little is known about the subjective experience of alcohol desire and craving in young people. Descriptions of alcohol urges continue to be extensively used in the everyday lexicon of young, non-dependent drinkers. Elaborated Intrusion (EI) Theory contends that imagery is central to craving and desires, and predicts that alcohol-related imagery wil...

Mental imagery may occur in any sensory modality, although visual imagery has been most studied. A sensitive measure of the vividness of imagery across a range of modalities is needed: the shorter version of Bett's Questionnaire upon Mental Imagery (Sheehan, , J. Clin. Psychology, 23, 386) uses outdated items and has an unreliable factor structure....

Elaborated Intrusion (EI) Theory proposes that cravings occur when involuntary thoughts about food are elaborated; a key part of elaboration is affectively-charged imagery. Craving can be weakened by working memory tasks that block imagery. EI Theory predicts that cravings should also be reduced by preventing involuntary thoughts being elaborated i...

Despite considerable research activity and application in treatment, the construct of craving remains poorly understood. We propose that cravings and urges are cognitive-emotional events in time, characterised by frequency, duration, intensity and salience. Commonly used measures of alcohol craving are reviewed, and their strengths and weaknesses i...

A clear understanding of the cognitive-emotional processes underpinning desires to over- consume foods and adopt sedentary lifestyles can inform the development of more effective interventions to promote healthy eating and physical activity. The Elaborated Intrusion Theory of Desires offers a framework that can help in this endeavour through its em...

ensory imagery is a powerful tool for inducing craving because it is a key component of the cognitive system that underpins human motivation. The role of sensory imagery in motivation is explained by Elaborated Intrusion (EI) theory. Imagery plays an important role in motivation because it conveys the emotional qualities of the desired event, mimic...

Elaborated Intrusion theory (EI theory; Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) posits two main cognitive components in craving: associative processes that lead to intrusive thoughts about the craved substance or activity, and elaborative processes supporting mental imagery of the substance or activity. We used a novel visuospatial task to test the hypothe...

Objectives This study explores the relationships to food and hunger in women living with anorexic type eating difficulties and asks how imagery-based elaborations of food and eating thoughts are involved in their eating restraint, and recovery. Design The qualitative idiographic approach of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used....

Attentional control tasks such as body scanning and following isometric exercise instructions have been shown to reduce smoking cravings, apparently by reducing stress (Ussher, M., Cropley, M., Playle, S., Mohidin, R., & West, R. [2009]. Effect of isometric exercise and body scanning on cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Addiction, 104, 12...

As part of a programme of research that is developing tools to enhance choreographic practice, an interdisciplinary team of cognitive scientists, neuroscientists and dance professionals collaborated on two studies examining the mental representations used to support movement creation. We studied choreographer Wayne McGregor's approach to movement c...

The nature of the components derived from componential analysis has not been fully established. A computerized version of the People Pieces Analogy Task used by Sternberg is described, and despite different materials and pace of testing, results similar so those of Sternberg are reported. These are then used to develop and validate a shorter form o...

To develop a measure of craving based on the Elaborated Intrusion (EI) theory of desire and to examine the construct, concurrent and discriminant validity of the instrument. Cross-sectional. Patients from a hospital alcohol and drug out-patient service (n = 230), participants in a randomized controlled trial (n = 219) and students in a university-b...

Intrusive thoughts about food may play a role in unhealthy eating behaviours. Food-related thoughts that capture attention can lead to craving and further intrusive thoughts (Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005). We tested whether diverting attention to mental images or bodily sensations would reduce the incidence of intrusive thoughts about snack foods...

Relationships between self-harm and vulnerability factors were studied in a general population of 432 participants, of whom 30% reported some experience of self-harm. This group scored higher on dissociation and childhood trauma, had lower self-worth, and reported more negative intrusive thoughts. Among the non-harming group, 10% scored similarly t...

The Elaborated Intrusion (EI) theory of desire posits that visual imagery plays a key role in craving. We report a series of experiments testing this hypothesis in a drug addiction context. Experiment 1 showed that a mental visual imagery task with neutral content reduced cigarette craving in abstaining smokers, but that an equivalent auditory task...

Contemporary theories of Human Causal Induction assume that causal knowledge is inferred from observable contingencies. While this assumption is well supported by empirical results, it fails to consider an important problem-solving aspect of causal induction in real time: In the absence of well structured learning trials, it is not clear whether th...

A self-report measure of the emotional and behavioral reactions to intrusive thoughts was developed. The article presents data that confirm the stability, reliability, and validity of the new seven-item measure. Emotional and behavioral reactions to intrusions emerged as separate factors on the Emotional and Behavioral Reactions to Intrusions Quest...

We tested predictions from the elaborated intrusion (EI) theory of desire, which distinguishes intrusive thoughts and elaborations, and emphasizes the importance of imagery. Secondarily, we undertook preliminary evaluations of the Alcohol Craving Experience (ACE) questionnaire, a new measure based on EI Theory. Participants (N = 232) were in corres...

Elaborated Intrusion theory (Kavanagh, Andrade & May 2005) distinguishes between unconscious, associative processes as the precursors of desire, and controlled processes of cognitive elaboration that lead to conscious sensory images of the target of desire and associated affect. We argue that these mental images play a key role in motivating human...

The elaborated intrusion (EI) theory of desire (Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) attributes the motivational force of cravings to cognitive elaboration, including imagery, of apparently spontaneous thoughts that intrude into awareness. We report a questionnaire study in which respondents rated a craving for food or drink. Questionnaire items derived...

The elaborated intrusion model (Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) argues that a craving episode begins with a desire-related intrusive thought. This study tests the assumption that such intrusive thoughts, during hunger, reflect an increase in accessibility of food-related information in memory. Fifty-six undergraduates were randomly assigned to hung...

The core of our argument is that the human mental architecture is composed of nine subsystems of equal status that interact as parts of a coherent overall system, and therefore one mind. Two of these subsystems represent qualitatively different types of meaning, one propositional in nature and the other a more abstract holistic representation, call...

The authors argue that human desire involves conscious cognition that has strong affective connotation and is potentially involved in the determination of appetitive behavior rather than being epiphenomenal to it. Intrusive thoughts about appetitive targets are triggered automatically by external or physiological cues and by cognitive associates. W...

Technological advances are increasing the use of dynamic or changing displays, in many forms of interface. The increasing amount of information held on the Internet and in private government and commercial databases also requires more innovative approaches to retrieval and browsing than existing text-based search engines can provide.

Despite the advent of improved pharmacological treatments to alleviate substance-related desires, psychological approaches will continue to be required. However, the current psychological treatment that most specifically focuses on desires and their management--cue exposure (CE)--has not lived up to its original promise. This paper argues that curr...

Cognitive modelling of phenomena in clinical practice allows the operationalization of otherwise diffuse descriptive terms such as craving or flashbacks. This supports the empirical investigation of the clinical phenomena and the development of targeted treatment interventions. This paper focuses on the cognitive processes underpinning craving, whi...

nvironment. Over the last 10 years, there has been a resurgence of interest in craving or desire 1 for alcohol and other substances (Alcohol Research & Health, 23 (3); Addiction, 95, Supp. 2), perhaps partly fuelled by the release of pharmacotherapies for alcohol misuse which lower craving or desire for alcohol (O'Malley, Krishnan-Sarin, Farren et...

Commentary on: Mangan, B. (2001) Sensation's ghost: the non-sensory "fringe" of consciousness. Psyche, 7(18), October 2001 http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au/v7/psyche-7-18-mangan.html In posing the sense of 'Rightness' as a quality-of-processing measure, Mangan runs the risk of a homuncular argument, since some process needs to observe Rightness, as...

Associative learning theory postulates two main determinants for human causal learning: contingency and contiguity. In line with such an account, participants in Shanks, Pearson, and Dickinson (1989) failed to discover causal relations involving delays of more than two seconds. More recent research has shown that the impact of contiguity and delay...

Several paradigms show that responses to one event compromise responses to a second event for around 500 ms. Such effects are generally attributed to attentional capacity limitations associated with processing information in the first event. In a task in which targets could be distinguished only by their meaning, we varied the semantic relationship...