Exercise might be good for me, but I don't feel good about it : do automatic associations predict exercise behavior?

  • Models employed in exercise psychology highlight the role of reflective processes for explaining behavior change. However, as discussed in social cognition literature, information-processing models also consider automatic processes (dual-process models). To examine the relevance of automatic processing in exercise psychology, we used a priming task to assess the automatic evaluations of exercise stimuli in physically active sport and exercise majors (n = 32), physically active nonsport majors (n = 31), and inactive students (n = 31). Results showed that physically active students responded faster to positive words after exercise primes, whereas inactive students responded more rapidly to negative words. Priming task reaction times were successfully used to predict reported amounts of exercise in an ordinal regression model. Findings were obtained only with experiential items reflecting negative and positive consequences of exercise. The results illustrate the potential importance of dual-process models in exercise psychology.

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Metadaten
Author details:Geoffrey Schweizer, Matthias Bluemke, Ralf BrandORCiDGND, Daniela Kahlert
URN:urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-42510
Publication series (Volume number):Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe (paper 178)
Publication type:Postprint
Language:English
Publication year:2010
Publishing institution:Universität Potsdam
Release date:2010/07/06
Tag:affective priming; automatic processes; evaluative priming; exercise; health behavior
Source:Journal of sport and exercise psychology 32 (2010), 2, S. 137 - 153
Organizational units:Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Strukturbereich Kognitionswissenschaften / Department Sport- und Gesundheitswissenschaften
DDC classification:7 Künste und Unterhaltung / 79 Sport, Spiele, Unterhaltung / 796 Sportarten, Sportspiele
Institution name at the time of the publication:Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Sportwissenschaft
License (German):License LogoKeine öffentliche Lizenz: Unter Urheberrechtsschutz
External remark:
The article was originally published by:
Human Kinetics
Journal of sport and exercise psychology. - 32 (2010), 2, S. 137-153
ISSN 0895-2779, ISSN 0163-433X
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