Body-Related Self-Conscious Emotions Relate to Physical Activity Motivation and Behavior in Men

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between the body-related self-conscious emotions of shame, guilt, and pride and physical activity motivation and behavior among adult males. Specifically, motivation regulations (external, introjected, indentified, intrinsic) were examined as possible mediators between each of the body-related self-conscious emotions and physical activity behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted with adult men (N = 152; M age = 23.72, SD = 10.92 years). Participants completed a questionnaire assessing body-related shame, guilt, authentic pride, hubristic pride, motivational regulations, and leisure-time physical activity. In separate multiple mediation models, body-related shame was positively associated with external and introjected regulations and negatively correlated with intrinsic regulation. Guilt was positively linked to external, introjected, and identified regulations. Authentic pride was negatively related to external regulation and positively correlated with both identified and intrinsic regulations and directly associated with physical activity behavior. Hubristic pride was positively associated with intrinsic regulation. Overall, there were both direct and indirect effects via motivation regulations between body-related self-conscious emotions and physical activity (R 2 shame = .15, guilt = .16, authentic pride = .18, hubristic pride = .16). These findings highlight the importance of targeting and understanding self-conscious emotions contextualized to the body and links to motivation and positive health behavior among men.

Body appreciation and body‐related pride in normal‐weight and overweight/obese individuals: Does romantic relationship matter?

“…It is a positive emotion experienced as a result of having desirable characteristics or being engaged in positively evaluated behaviors. 15,16 Body pride is described with two aspects: authentic pride and hubristic pride. The former arises when an individual meets internalized social standards as a consequence of specific effort and controllable behaviors (eg, dieting or exercising).…”

“…Body image may be also analyzed in terms of specific emotional experiences, such as body and appearance self‐conscious emotions including body‐related pride. It is a positive emotion experienced as a result of having desirable characteristics or being engaged in positively evaluated behaviors . Body pride is described with two aspects: authentic pride and hubristic pride.…”

Examining the associations between the Big Five personality traits and body self‐conscious emotions

“…One of these factors is personality traits (Allen & Walter, ). The present study aims to expand this line of research by examining the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (McCrae & Costa, ) and a group of affective reactions derived from evaluations of one's own body elicited by social norms (i.e., body‐related self‐conscious emotions; Castonguay, Pila, Wrosch, & Sabiston, ; Castonguay, Sabiston, Crocker, & Mack, ).…”

“…According to the prevalently positive or negative nature attributed to each kind of self‐conscious emotion (Tangney & Tracy, ), those specifically derived from evaluations of one's own body have been differentially associated with several relevant health‐related outcomes. Thus, shame/guilt have been found to be related to depressive symptoms (positively) and physical‐activity behavior (negatively), with the sign of these relationships being the opposite in the case of authentic/hubristic pride (Castonguay et al, ; Castonguay et al, ). Therefore, examining potential antecedents of body‐related self‐conscious emotions may be relevant from a health standpoint.…”

Characterological Correlates of Selfie Taking Behavior

“…Shame typically elicits the desire to hide or escape (Tangney & Tracy, 2012), while guilt has been linked to a wide range of reparative behaviors (Baumeister, Stillwell, & Heatherton, 1994;Silfver, 2007). Within the realm of appearance-related guilt, enhanced physical activity may constitute one type of reparation (Castonguay, Pila, Wrosch, & Sabiston, 2015;Castonguay et al, 2014). Again, to date, no researchers have investigated the association between body-related guilt or shame and selfie taking activities.…”