Affect as a Potential Determinant of Physical Activity and Exercise

Abstract

The promotion of physical activity and exercise has been a persistently challenging problem for industrialized societies. Traditionally, these behaviors have been conceptualized as resulting from the rational processing of information (e.g., regarding anticipated benefits, personal capabilities, sources of support). Therefore, attempts to change these behaviors have relied on the provision of information. The persistent failure to account for substantial portions of behavioral variance or raise physical activity and exercise behavior in a sustainable manner is forcing researchers to expand their theoretical perspective. Thus, emerging dual-process conceptualizations postulate that, besides an information-based pathway, physical activity and exercise may be influenced by affect, such as the energy and tiredness felt in daily life, or the pleasure and displeasure responses to past exercise. This chapter highlights potential conceptual and methodological pitfalls in this emerging line of research and summarizes the promising results of early correlational and experimental studies.

Effects of music, video, and 360‐degree video on cycle ergometer exercise at the ventilatory threshold

“…Given the dynamic nature of affective responses to exercise, it is advised that such responses are recorded throughout the entire exercise bout (ie, pre‐, during, and post‐exercise) . Such an approach ensures that the most influential affective elements of exercise are captured (ie, the peak affect , the end affect, and the slope of affective change during the bout) . Focusing on affective constructs when designing interventions to promote physical activity may hold promise, although it has been suggested that there is a paucity of information regarding how we can achieve this in practice …”

(How) Does Affect Influence the Formation of Habits in Exercise?

“…Moreover, exercise class attendance was measured quasi-objectively by weekly observation of attendance so that we can rule out systematic bias of subjective measures of PA (Jekauc et al, 2014). The fact that we measured affective states rather than affective attitudes, affective judgments or anticipated affective responses which are not affective states per se (Ekkekakis et al, 2018) is also one of the several merits of this study. If one assumes that affect is not a cognitive or reflective sensation (Russell, 2003), it is not necessary to measure it as a cognitive construct: By asking participants to reflect about their affective attitudes or judgments, however, the answer is the result of cognitive operations (Ekkekakis et al, 2018).…”

“…The fact that we measured affective states rather than affective attitudes, affective judgments or anticipated affective responses which are not affective states per se (Ekkekakis et al, 2018) is also one of the several merits of this study. If one assumes that affect is not a cognitive or reflective sensation (Russell, 2003), it is not necessary to measure it as a cognitive construct: By asking participants to reflect about their affective attitudes or judgments, however, the answer is the result of cognitive operations (Ekkekakis et al, 2018). Applying the Feeling Scale (Hardy and Rejeski, 1989) and Felt Arousal Scale (Svebak and Murgatroyd, 1985), we are coming closer to measuring affective states per se and thereby extend the literature on the role of affect.…”

“…The authors concluded that a reward like positive affect increased the likelihood of an individual performing the behavior again without conscious deliberation. However, the study had several limitations, i.e., the first follow-up assessment of habit scores was done after 6 weeks; and, in particular, affective judgments refer to beliefs or expectations about affect and are therefore not affective responses per se (Ekkekakis et al, 2018). Overall, only few long-term studies that examined affective determinants of habit formation are available, especially in the context of physical exercise.…”

Ready Exerciser One: Effects of music and virtual reality on cycle ergometer exercise

“…The lack of progress made towards increasing physical activity at the populationlevel has led researchers to question the efficacy of the 'rational education' approach, which has predicated public health campaigns for decades (Ekkekakis, Zenko, Ladwig, & Hartman, 2018). This approach assumes that individuals are rational and if provided with complete information pertaining to a behaviour, they are likely to change their behaviour in the desired manner (Ekkekakis, 2017).…”