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Greg Dixon
University of Wisconsin - Madison
638 WJ Brogden Hall
1202 W Johnson St
Madison WI 53706 USA
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Obesity has reached epidemic proportions, and diabetes,
heart disease, and stroke are primary causes of preventable death and disability.
The CDC reports that today in the United States, 1 in 5 children is overweight.
Exercise affects obesity directly, but what motivates people to exercise?
How do kids become interested in sports, exercise, and leading an active lifestyle?
I am focused on motivation to be active. This involves
understanding the foundations of motivation. My masters’ research considered
approach- and withdrawal-systems in the brain. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI,
I measured brain activity as people tasted various concentrations of glucose and quinine.
I focus on approach and avoidance
motivation from behavioral and social perspectives. My thesis is this: approach goals, such as building social bonds
with sports and other energetic activities, may be more motivating than avoidance goals, such as
avoiding embarrassment of getting fat and avoiding poor health.
Judith Harackiewicz (University of Wisconsin - Madison) and others have shown through achievement goal research (i.e. achievement goal theory or AGT) that approach goals are positively
associated with achievement outcomes. Avoidance goals are not. A similar pattern with
social approach and social outcomes was found by Shelly Gable (University of California - Santa Barbara) working with Andrew Elliot (University of Rochester), who has refined a hierarchical model
of approach and avoidance motivation.
I plan to extend the hierarchical model of approach and avoidance into exercise motivation by showing that
approach motivation is positively associated with health outcomes. These may be social for those with social motives, technical for those with technique motives, etc.
If I am correct, people who are socially oriented may become active by pursuing social activities. But those who engage in social avoidance will be less active. Those who are are
technique oriented and approach technical skill will be more active than those who strive, instead, to avoid technical failure. If you are a swimmer, for example, technique-approach
could mean striving to perfect your breast stroke.
My doctoral study involves basic research, but I am excited to apply what I learn in practice.
I would like to apply my research in the real world—to help address
a key health problem in the world today.
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| Education, Awards, Organizations |
PhD student, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Dept of Psychology
Master of Science, Psychology. 2005, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Bachelor of Science with Honors. 2002, University of Wisconsin - Madison. Graduated with distinction in top 20% of class and 4.0 GPA in major
Summer Research Award. 2008, University of Wisconsin Dept of Psychology
Summer Research Award. 2005, University of Wisconsin Dept of Psychology
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. 2004
Wisconsin Idea Fellow. 2002, University of Wisconsin Morgridge Center for Public Service
Honors Fellow. 2001, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Elected to Psi Chi. 2000, National Psychology Honors Society
Wisconsin Small Business Innovation Consortium Award. 1996, Governor Tommy Thompson and the State of Wisconsin
SBIR Phase I Grant. 1995, USDA Small Business Innovation Research grant
Member, Society for Neuroscience
Member, International Primatological Society
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Nitschke, J. B., Dixon, G. E., Sarinopoulos, I., Short, S. J., Cohen, J. D., Smith, E. E., Kosslyn, S. M., Rose, R. M., Davidson, R. J. (2006). Altering expectancy dampens neural response to aversive taste in primary taste cortex. Nature Neuroscience, 9(3), 435-442.
Sarinopoulos, I., Dixon, G. E., Short, S. J., Davidson, R. J., & Nitschke, J. B. (2006). Brain mechanisms of expectation associated with insula and amydala response to aversive taste: Implication for placebo. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 20(2), 120-132.
Dixon, G. E. (2005). Expectations modulate behavioral and neural responses to taste. Master's Thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Dixon, G. E.; Nitschke, J. B.; Short, S. J., Lakshmanan, A., Carew, M. E., Anderle, M. J., Schaefer, H. S., Johnstone, T., Cohen, J. D., Kosslyn, S. M., Smith, E. E., & Davidson, R. J. (2004). Expectancy and modulation of neural activation in response to gustatory stimuli. Poster presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.
Dixon, G. E., Nitschke, J. B., & Davidson, R. J. (in preparation) Pleasant and aversive taste reactivity in the human brain.
Dixon, G. E., Lakshmanan, A., Nitschke, J. B., Short, S. J., Anderle, M. J., & Davidson, R. J. (in preparation) M.R. Hydra: A device for taste stimulus delivery for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
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E-mail Gregory E. Dixon at gedixon@gmail.com
Call Greg Dixon at 1.608.345.3642
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| Greg Dixon, Gregory, brain, fMRI, athletic motivation, exercise, imaging, approach, avoidance, withdrawal, neuromarketing, neuroeconomics, social marketing, reward |
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