A process model of exercise adherence
Abstract
Maintenance of regular exercise is important from a number of perspectives, including medical and psychological. In spite of the importance of exercise, few adults exercise regularly, and thus it is important for researchers to determine psychological factors that contribute to exercise adherence. The present paper proposes a model of exercise adherence based on theories of behavior change and motivation, such as Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1982), and Personal Investment Theory (Maehr & Braskamp, 1986). Briefly, the model suggests that a complex behavior, such as exercise, is mainly a function of cognitive factors, such as goals, self-efficacy, and exercise expectancies. Amount of exercise should then influence these factors in subsequent time periods, and these factors in turn should influence future levels of exercise. To test this model a longitudinal, correlational study was conducted. Thirty-six female and 13 male undergraduate students at a large Midwest university who were interested in beginning an exercise program enrolled in a semester-long independent research course. For ten weeks during the semester subjects completed a daily exercise report and biweekly measures of the importance of their exercise relevant goals, beliefs about their own efficacy regarding exercise, beliefs about exercise outcomes, perceived outcomes of previous exercise, and the degree to which the exercise they engaged in was the right type of exercise to help them achieve their goals (Right Exercise). Path analysis was the main statistical tool used to analyze the relationships between the variables over time. Results of both individual and averaged path analyses suggested that the strongest predictor of level of exercise was Right Exercise. Results also suggested that the relation between self-efficacy and exercise and goals and exercise changed over time, while exercise beliefs did not appear to contribute to exercise adherence. One unexpected finding was that the smaller the discrepancy between expected outcomes and actual outcomes, the more a subject exercised. Results are discussed in terms of response efficacy, Personal Investment theory, and relative deprivation. Practical implications of the findings are also suggested.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Clark, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Personality|Social psychology|Physical education
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