Leading us to be active: A two-wave test of relationships between identity leadership, group identification, and attendance.

Abstract

Although physical activity participation has numerous physiological and psychological benefits, inactivity rates remain high, and a greater understanding of the factors that drive participation is needed. Growing evidence indicates that (1) the strength of individuals' social identification as a member of a particular physical activity group (e.g., an exercise group or sports team) is positively associated with their group-relevant participation, and (2) physical activity leaders (e.g., exercise group leaders, coaches, and captains) can foster members' identification, and thus their greater group-relevant participation. Extending previous crosssectional research, we examined relationships over time between sports group members' perceptions of their leaders' engagement in identity leadership, their group identification, and attendance. Participants (N = 186) from amateur sports teams completed measures of identity leadership, group identification, and attendance on two occasions, eight weeks apart. Lagged regressions indicated that perceptions of leaders' engagement in identity leadership at Time 1 predicted members' group identification at Time 2, controlling for their group identification at Time 1; and members' group identification at Time 2 was associated with their attendance at Time 2, controlling for their attendance at Time 1. Mediation analysis demonstrated a significant indirect effect of perceptions of leaders' engagement in identity leadership on group members' attendance through greater group identification. Findings provide evidence of the participation-related benefits of forming, and maintaining, strong social identities in physical activity settings, and point to the role leaders can play in fostering members' sustained identification and participation.

‘It’s like Going to the Regular Class but without Being there’: A Qualitative Analysis of Older people’s Experiences of Exercise in the Home during Covid-19 Lockdown in England

“…Estabrooks et al ( 2004 : 233) have previously noted how the instructor is ‘the most important determinant of participation in physical exercise groups’. Studies of physical presence exercise classes have demonstrated the importance of the instructor in creating cohort experiences and a sense of group identity (Stevens et al 2020 ) and creating confidence and empowering messaging, both of which are important for continued engagement (Chemers et al 2000 ). Our study suggests that importance of the instructor carries through into Zoom space although it may demand more explicit performance than in the studio.…”

Leaders’ creation of shared identity impacts group members’ effort and performance: Evidence from an exercise task

“…Indeed, it is important to reiterate that, from a social identity perspective, effective leadership is not solely contingent on leaders’ identity entrepreneurship (i.e., their capacity to create a shared sense of identity among group members) but also on their capacity to represent and advance that identity, and help embed it in reality. As such, there is considerable scope for future research to explore both the distinct and combined effects of real-world sport and exercise leaders engaging in the four facets of identity leadership, particularly in light of recent evidence for context-specific differences in the relative importance of sporting leaders engaging in each of these [83].…”

Will ‘we’ continue to exercise? The associations between group identification, identity leadership, and relational identification on group exercise class adherence

“…It has been suggested that the social identity approach provides crucial and unique social processes to understand and influence physical activity participation [5][6][7]. While the social identity approach has been applied across a variety of contexts including within organisations [8], and sport [5,9], research with regard to its relevance to exercise remains limited (exceptions [6,7]). The social identity approach comprises two theories; social identity theory [10] and self-categorisation theory [11].…”

“…The application of the social identity approach to physical activity has garnered interest in how leaders (e.g. class instructors) in these settings may influence physical activity behaviour [7,9,20,26]. Exercise leaders (i.e.…”

“…Until recently, there was limited direct research as to the relevance of SIL in exercise settings. A small number of studies have now begun to examine the relationship between both identity leadership behaviours and group identification in exercise participants [7,9,20].…”