COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THREE FACTORS THAT DETERMINE HUMAN LEARNING IN TWO DIFFERENT STAGES OF CHANGE

Abstract

In this work, a pilot project for losing weight was carried out with a sample composed of 50 patients selected from the health zone of the Health Centre in Calaceite (Spain). A comparative study of the scores self-given by the patients to three learning factors (motivation, reward and difficulty) at the contemplative and action stage phases of change was carried out, in order to elucidate whether correlations could be found between the three factors. When the patients changed from the contemplative to the action stage, a significant increase in the scores corresponding to the motivation and the reward items could be found, whilst no differences were encountered for the difficulty item. The results revealed a positive bilateral correlation between the motivation and the reward items for the results of the scores self-given by the patients to these items. The self-evaluation made by the patient assigning scores to these three could constitute a valuable tool for the professional, in order to propose changes in the routines, habits or activities of the patient that could lead to a greater probability of success in the therapeutic diet treatment.