Theories in Exercise Psychology Part 1 Flashcards
What is a theory
- A systematically organized body of know
- Applicable in a relatively wide variety of circumstances
- Devised to analyze, predict, or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena
- An attempt to predict/explain why a behaviour or phenomenon occurs
What are the key components of a theory
- Describes a behaviour
- It makes a prediction about future behaviour
Why are theories are essential?
- Helps us better understand and predict physical activity and exercise behaviour
- Provide a scientifically supported blueprint from which to formulate effective behavioral interventions (provides a logic basis for planned interventions)
What is a model?
- Simply, a graphic depiction of a phenomenon
- Models describe the phenomenon but do not explain why it occurs
What is a construct?
- A concept, label or idea
- Characteristic of something that isn’t directly observable
- Label for subjective domain of behaviour
Motivation
Degree of determination, desire or drive with which someone approaches behaviour
How is motivation related to behaviour
behaviour can be determined or explained by motivation
Behavioral Economics
Motivation predicted by expected outcomes and value placed on the behaviour
- Choices made based on:
1. low cost
2. highly reinforcing/ high gain
Social elements of social cognitive approaches
- Social pressures or experience influencing behaviour
Human cognition elements of social cognitive theories
Cognitions that influence behaviour
Self-efficacy
An individual’s belief in their abilities to successfully perform a task, based on the demands of the task
How does self-efficacy effect peoples behaviour
People avoid activities that they judge to exceed their abilities but undertake and perform activities that they judge themselves capable of performing
Self efficacy theory model
Self efficacy is effected by 4 major factors and self efficacy in turn effect affect, behaviour and cognitions
Sources of influence in Self-efficacy theory
- Past performance (most influence)
- Vicarious experiences
- Social Persuasion
- Physiological/ Affective states (least influence)
Past Performances
Performing same or similar activity some sort of success
- Degree of similarity between tasks determines the strength of self-efficay
Vicarious experiences
Seeing another person perform a task successfully
- The greater the perceived similarity between the model and the viewer, the greater the influence on self-efficacy
Social Persuasion
Verbal and nonverbal tactics used by others to increase a person’s SE
- Most effective when a knowledgeable or significant other is persuading
Physiological/ Affective states
Physiological state and mood
- feelings of pain, fatigue, breathing discomfort vs feeling awake, energized, strong
Measuring Self-efficacy
- Specificity of self-efficacy
- SE at different levels of challenge
- SE strength at each level of challenge
Specificity of self-efficacy
- Task SE
- Barrier SE
- Scheduling SE
- Coping SE
Limitations of Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy best predicts novel or challenging behaviour but not great at predicting maintenance of habitual behaviour
- Increases in self-efficacy do not necessarily generalization
Theory of Planned behaviour
Intentions play a central role in behaviour and our influenced by attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control
Intention
Person’s motivation, decision, or conscious plan to perform a behvaiour
Attitudes
Person’s evaluation of a behaviour
- What do I have to gain/lose?
- How do I expect to feel
- How important are these outcomes to me
Subjective Norm
Degree to which someone fells social pressure to perform behaviour
- Do you believe that your peer-group expects you to exercise?
- Are you motivated to comply with their expectations?
- Do people in your peer-group exercise & how much do you identify with these people?
Perceived Behavioral Control
Your evaluation of facilitators and barriers to preforming exercise
- Your ability to influence these factors
Strengths and limitations of the theory of planned behaviour
- Good job at explaining intentions to exercise but not good at predicting behaviour
- Attitudes have stronger impact on intentions than SN or PBC
- Poor job at actually explaining behaviour (intention to behaviour gap is 48%)
Self-Determination Theory
The type or quality of motivation is equally important as strength of motivation to determining whether a person will engage in a behaviour
Central aspects of self-determination theory
- Different types of motivation
- Whether motivation is internally or externally regulated
- Psychological needs lead to motivaion
Basic physiological needs of self-determination theory
- Autonomy: feeling self-determined, independence, having choice and control
- Competence: mastery experiences, feeling like you are good at something
- Relatedness: Feeling connected to others, feeling like you matter
What are the 3 categories of motivation according to self-determination theory
- Amotivation: complete lack of motivation
- Extrinsic motivation: motivation coming form outside the individual
- Intrinsic motivation: motivation that comes from within
What are the 4 types of extrinsic motivation
- Integrated regulation: Behavior becomes a part of who that person is
- Identified regulation: Motivated by personal goals (outcome driven)
- Introjected Regulation: self-imposed pressure to avoid guilt
- External regulation: motivated to achieve an external reward
Intrinsic motivation
- For enjoyment pleasure and fun
- no discernible reinforcement or reward
Amotivation
Lack of intentionality and personal causation
Self-determination motivation continuum low to high
Amotivation
External regulation
introjected regulation
integrated regulation
intrinsic motivation
Operant conditioning reinforcement schedules
- Fixed Ratio: reinforcement after a set number of responses
- Variable ratio: reinforcement after varying number of responses
- Fixed interval: reinforcement after fixed amount of time
- Variable interval: reinforcement after varying amounts of time
24-hour movement guidelines
- Least 150 minutes of MVPA per week
- less than 8 hours of SB per day
- 7-9 hours of sleep per 24-hour period
- Several hours of LPA- including standing
Determinants of drop out of exercise studies
- Main reason is time constraint (40%)
- Usually once exercise period starts
Task SE
Self-confidence to complete a specific task
Barrier SE
Self-confidence to overcome barriers that may prevent from goal
Scheduling SE
self-confidence to effectively schedule your time for your goal
Coping SE
Self-confidence to handle unforeseen life events that may impede progress to your goal
Measurement of self-efficacy
- level of challenge
- strength of Self-efficacy
Study on the impact of brief intervention of self-efficacy and physical activity
- Education vs exercise intervention
EXERCISE: 8 wk walking and 4 workshops increasing the 4 sources of self-efficacy
EDUCTION: online diabetes and health education course - Measured: barrier SE, SE for walking and exercise SE
RESULTS - in exercise group - SEW and EXSE increased after intervention, BARSE did not
- physical activity increased and remained elevated after 6 months
- SEW and BARSE positively correlated with increased physical activity
What is the limitation of using self-efficacy as a predictor of physical activity
Predicts in the moment but not good over time
Study understanding action control of physical activity among mothers with young children
- Mothers of young children are at-risk for being physically inactive
PURPOSE: explore if MYC’s intention to exercise translated to actually exercising
Surveyed 16o MYC and measured: - Intentions to exercise
- weekly PA levels
- previous PA habits
- Self-efficacy
- Exercise identity
RESULTS - intentional behaviour gap
what 4 groups can intention acitivty profiles be split into
- Non-intenders, inactive
- Intenders, inactive
- Intenders, active
- Non-intenders, active
Why might there be a gap between intention and activity
- Self efficacy
- Identity
- Habit
