Mediators of affective responses to acute exercise among women with high social physique anxiety

• Published in: Psychology of sport and exercise Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 573 - 578
• Main Authors: Raedeke, Thomas D., Focht, Brian C., Scales, Donna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2009
• Subjects: Affect; Group fitness; Leadership style; Mediation; Social physique anxiety; Affect; Leadership style; Mediation; Group fitness; Social physique anxiety
• ISSN: 1469-0292
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.02.004

This study represents ancillary analyses of data published by Raedeke, Focht, and Scales [2007. Social environmental factors and psychological responses to acute exercise for socially physique anxious females. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 8, 463–487] and examines whether enjoyment or task self-efficacy mediated the relationship between exercise environment (health- or appearance-oriented class atmosphere) and affective responses/future intentions or had independent associations with those outcomes. As a context in which to examine mediational relationships, volunteer female college students ( N = 99) with high social physique anxiety scores were randomly assigned to a health- or appearance-oriented condition. They completed affect and task self-efficacy measures pre- and post-exercise. Enjoyment and intentions were assessed post-exercise. Enjoyment mediated the relationship of class atmosphere on overall feeling as well as revitalization and exhaustion and partially mediated the relationship of class orientation with engagement and future intentions. Although task self-efficacy was an independent predictor of affective responses and intentions, it did not significantly mediate the effect of the social environment on these outcomes.