Changing emotional engagement with running through communal self-tracking

The Implications of 'Teleoaffective Shaping' for Public Health

Bibliographic Data

ID2249689
AuthorsF Spotswood (0000-0003-1223-2012, School of Management University of Bristol Bristol UK, corresponding author), Arjun Shankar (0000-0002-4312-4412, Institute for Policy Research (IPR), Marketing, Business & Society, Centre for Business, Organisations and Society (CBOS) University of Bath Bath UK), Lukasz Piwek (0000-0003-3291-4766, Bath Centre for Healthcare Innovation and Improvement Applied Digital Behaviour Lab University of Bath Bath UK)
Year2020
Volume42
Issue4
Pages772-788
Publication date2020-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociology of Health & Illness (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0141-9889 • E-ISSN: 1467-9566
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-9566.13057
PMID32052463
OpenAlexW3000129754
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited52

Emerging research explores the role of self-tracking in supporting healthy behaviour. Self-tracking comprises a number of interrelated practices; some individual some communal. In this article, we focus on practices that enable interaction between self-trackers through data sharing and communication around personal data. For public health, communal self-tracking has been explored for the additional benefits it provides in addition to self-knowledge. However, under-explored is the emotional entanglement of self-tracking and tracked activities, or the role of practitioners in the dynamic evolution of tracked practices. Qualitative, mixed methods data were collected from leisure-time runners in the SW England who self-track using social fitness app 'Strava', and were interpreted through the lens of practice theory. We find that communal self-tracking affords the active shaping of the emotion and purpose of running. This 'teleoaffective shaping' allows practitioners to negotiate and reconstitute appealing meanings associated with running to protect their practice loyalty. We identify three mechanisms for teleoaffective shaping afforded by Strava: labelling, reward and materialising effort. Findings advance our understanding of how social fitness apps work to retain practitioners of physically active leisure practices. Future research should further explore the multiple ways that associations with tracked physical activity evolve through entanglement with self-tracking practices

Activity tracker · BitTorrent tracker · Business · Disengagement theory · Eye tracking · Loyalty · Negotiation · Physical activity · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative property · Qualitative research · Sociology · Tracking (education · Applied Psychology · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Computer Science · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Marketing · Psychology · Social Media in Health Education · Social Psychology

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