Exercise and Self-Esteem: Validity of Model Expansion and Exercise Associations

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to test expansion of the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model (EXSEM) to include two levels of perceived physical competence as operationalized by the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP). Female aerobic dancers (N = 216, age M = 38.4) were administered a Self-Esteem scale (SE), the PSPP to assess a general Physical Self-Worth (PSW), and more specific subdomains of perceived Sport Competence (Sport), Physical Condition (Cond), Attractive Body (Body), and Strength (Stren). Subjects also completed self-efficacy scales for jogging, sitting, and aerobic dancing. Confirmatory factor analysis supported model measurement as hypothesized, %2 = 1,154.88, df = 681, comparative fit index (CFI) = .913, root mean square residual (RMSR) = .047. Structural equation modeling (SEM) supported EXSEM component relationships as proposed. Further SEM associating two exercise self-reports with EXSEM again displayed satisfactory fit indices and explained up to 27.6% of exercise variance. It was concluded that exercise in adult female aerobic dancers is associated with positive evaluations of their physical condition and with negative evaluations of their bodies.

Developing an instrument to measure physical activity related self-worth in women: Rasch analysis of the Women's Physical Activity Self-Worth Inventory (WPASWI)

“…A definitive version was subsequently published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2012. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2012 The Exercise Self-Esteem Model specifies that physical changes that ensue from exercise participation influence global physical self-worth through its subdomains (physical condition, attractive body, and strength) and that this brings about changes in global self-worth (Sonstroem & Morgan, 1989;Sonstroem, Harlow, & Josephs, 1994;Gothe et al, 2011). McAuley and colleagues have provided much of the evidence for the relationship among PA and global self-worth through the physical domain (McAuley et al, 2005a;McAuley, Blissmer, Katula, Duancan, & Mihalko, 2005b) and have reported that effects of PA are stronger on physical self-worth than global self-worth.…”

Exercising the Self: On the Role of Exercise, Gender and Culture in Physical-self Perceptions

“…The PSPP has been shown to measure the perceptions of the physical self in a valid and reliable way (Fox, 1998;Fox & Corbin, 1989;Sonstroem, Harlow & Josephs, 1994;Sonstroem, Speliotis & Fava, 1992), and be relatively insensitive to social desirability effects (Sonstroem & Potts, 1996). Furthermore, the PSPP has been translated into several languages and has shown construct validity for different cultures (Aşçi, Aşçi & Zorba, 1999;Hagger, Ashford & Stambulova, 1998;Van De Vliet, Knapen, David, Onghena, Van Coppenolle & Fox, 2001).…”

“…Hence, the previous unidimensional concept of physical competence in the old model was replaced with a multidimensional concept of physical competence, which gives the model enhanced strength and potential for detecting mechanisms that underlie links between exercise and self-esteem and provides greater opportunities to test the discriminant validity of the model and to link it to external criteria (Sonstroem, 1997a). The validity of both the old model and, in particular, the new one, has received support or partial support in several studies (Alfermann & Stoll, 2000;Sonstroem, Harlow, Gemma & Osborne, 1991;Sonstroem, Harlow & Salisbury, 1993, Sonstroem et al, 1994. With regard to the link between physical self-efficacy, the PSPP subdomain variables, physical self-worth and self-esteem, it seems that physical self-efficacy is most closely related to the condition variable, whereas body attraction relates most strongly to physical self-worth, and thus indirectly to global self-esteem (Aşçi, Aşçi & Zorba, 1999;Sonstroem et al, 1994).…”

“…The validity of both the old model and, in particular, the new one, has received support or partial support in several studies (Alfermann & Stoll, 2000;Sonstroem, Harlow, Gemma & Osborne, 1991;Sonstroem, Harlow & Salisbury, 1993, Sonstroem et al, 1994. With regard to the link between physical self-efficacy, the PSPP subdomain variables, physical self-worth and self-esteem, it seems that physical self-efficacy is most closely related to the condition variable, whereas body attraction relates most strongly to physical self-worth, and thus indirectly to global self-esteem (Aşçi, Aşçi & Zorba, 1999;Sonstroem et al, 1994). Consequently, viewed from an applied perspective, these trends seem to imply that the physical self perception subdomains that are most related to physical self-efficacy, and thereby easiest to change, (physical condition) are not the same ones that are most highly related to the higher levels of general physical self-worth and self-esteem (body attractiveness).…”

“…Moving up in the model, increased physical self-efficacy influences the closely related physical competence and physical acceptance that are believed to affect global self-esteem. Later on, in relation to the development of the PSPP, Sonstroem, Harlow and Josephs (1994) expanded the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model through the implementation of the four PSPP subdomain variables of sport competence, condition, strength and body attractiveness and the fifth, general, domain physical self-worth (see Figure 4), naming it "EXSEM" to separate it from the old model. Hence, the previous unidimensional concept of physical competence in the old model was replaced with a multidimensional concept of physical competence, which gives the model enhanced strength and potential for detecting mechanisms that underlie links between exercise and self-esteem and provides greater opportunities to test the discriminant validity of the model and to link it to external criteria (Sonstroem, 1997a).…”