Reviving the critical distinction between perceived capability and motivation: a response to commentaries

Determinants of physical activity among adults in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic: The DUK-COVID study

Objectives This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the physical activity (PA) of UK adults and potential motivational determinants of such behaviour. Design and methods A survey was conducted with 1,521 UK adults recruited through Prolific.co in early June 2020. Along with demographic information, questions assessed current PA, changes in PA modalities (i.e., overall, around the home, for transport, in the workplace, in the local neighbourhood, at recreation/sport facilities) related to the lockdown, and beliefs about capabilities, opportunities, and motivations according to the COM-B model. A series of logistic regressions were constructed to examine associations between shifts in the PA modalities and the COM-B components. Results The majority of respondents (57%) had either maintained or increased their levels of PA during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the proportion meeting PA guidelines (31%) was low and engagement in sedentary-related behaviour for both work and leisure increased substantially during the lockdown. The components of the COM-B model were associated with shifts in PA. In particular, physical opportunity (odds ratios ranging from 1.14 to 1.20) and reflective motivation (odds ratios ranging from 1.11 to 1.25) appeared to be the most consistent predictors of behaviour. Conclusions If UK adults believed they had the physical opportunity and were motivated, they were more likely to have maintained or increased their PA during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the majority of adults are not meeting the UK guidelines on PA and the prevalence of PA is substantially lower than national surveys prior to the pandemic. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the daily routines of citizens globally. Engagement in physical activity appears to have declined as a result of the requirement to self-isolate and stay in place. The COM-B model of behaviour change is a useful framework for identifying the correlates and determinants of behaviour. What does this study add? Though most UK adults maintained or increased their engagement in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority did not meet recommended guidelines. Reflective processes and physical opportunity were the primary predictors of change in physical activity.

Canadian children's and youth's adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A decision tree analysis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to use decision tree modeling to generate profiles of children and youth who were more or less likely to meet the Canadian 24-h movement guidelines during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak.

METHODS

Data for this study were from a nationally representative sample of 1472 Canadian parents (Mean_age = 45.12, SD = 7.55) of children (5-11 years old) or youth (12-17 years old). Data were collected in April 2020 via an online survey. Survey items assessed demographic, behavioral, social, micro-environmental, and macro-environmental characteristics. Four decision trees of adherence and non-adherence to all movement recommendations combined and each individual movement recommendation (physical activity [PA], screen time, and sleep) were generated.

RESULTS

Results revealed specific combinations of adherence and non-adherence characteristics. Characteristics associated with adherence to the recommendation(s) included high parental perceived capability to restrict screen time, annual household income of ≥ $100,000, increases in children's and youth's outdoor PA/sport since the COVID-19 outbreak began, being a boy, having parents younger than 43 years old, and small increases in children's and youth's sleep duration since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Characteristics associated with non-adherence to the recommendation(s) included low parental perceived capability to restrict screen time, youth aged 12-17 years, decreases in children's and youth's outdoor PA/sport since the COVID-19 outbreak began, primary residences located in all provinces except Quebec, low parental perceived capability to support children's and youth's sleep and PA, and annual household income of ≤ $99,999.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that specific characteristics interact to contribute to (non)adherence to the movement behavior recommendations. Results highlight the importance of targeting parents' perceived capability for the promotion of children's and youth's movement behaviors during challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, paying particular attention to enhancing parental perceived capability to restrict screen time.

Development and Evaluation of the High-Intensity Interval Training Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

This study involved the design and evaluation of the High-Intensity Interval Training Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (HIIT-SQ). Phase 1: Questionnaire items were developed. Phase 2: Australian adolescents (N = 389, 16.0 ± 0.4 years, 41.10% female) completed the HIIT-SQ, and factorial validity of the measurement model was explored. Phase 3: Adolescents (N = 100, age 12-14 years, 44% female) completed the HIIT-SQ twice (1 week apart) to evaluate test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis of the final six items (mean = 3.43-6.73, SD = 0.99-25.30) revealed adequate fit, χ2(21) = 21, p = .01, comparative fit index = .99, Tucker-Lewis index = .99, root mean square of approximation = .07, 90% confidence interval [.04, .11]. Factor loading estimates showed that all items were highly related to the factor (estimates range: 0.81-0.90). Intraclass coefficients and typical error values were .99 (95% confidence interval [.99, 1.00]) and .22, respectively. This study provides preliminary evidence for the validity and reliability of scores derived from the HIIT-SQ in adolescents.

Living for Today or Tomorrow? Self-Regulation amidst Proximal or Distal Exercise Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Although health promotion efforts to increase exercise behavior often emphasise long-term outcomes, sustained action in service of a distal reward is challenging. These studies examined how focusing on the proximal benefits of exercise, compared to distal outcomes or more general outcomes, may strengthen individuals' self-regulatory self-efficacy and support physical activity or exercise behavior.

METHODS

Participants in Study 1 (N = 1057 community members) completed an online survey. Participants in Study 2 (N = 69 students) and Study 3 (N = 107 students) experienced experimental manipulations related to proximal or distal outcomes of exercise, and then completed survey measures. In Study 4, new members at a commercial gym (N = 210) completed a survey and had check-ins recorded over 17 weeks.

RESULTS

In Study 1, participants who ranked proximal outcomes of exercise as relatively more important than distal outcomes reported more frequent physical activity. In Studies 2 and 3, participants induced to focus on proximal outcomes reported increased self-regulatory self-efficacy. In Study 4, valuing proximal benefits predicted sustained exercise behavior (i.e. check-ins), particularly when fitness goal adherence felt difficult.

CONCLUSIONS

Those holding increased proximal outcome beliefs reported more activity and greater efficacy to overcome the barriers that derail exercise.

Pragmatic nihilism: how a Theory of Nothing can help health psychology progress

Health psychology developed a plethora of theories to explain and change a wide variety of behaviours. Several attempts have been undertaken to build integrative theories, some even striving for a Theory of Everything. We argue against these efforts, arguing that instead a 'pragmatic nihilism' perspective may be more fruitful to understand and change health behaviours. The first tenet of pragmatic nihilism is that psychological variables are usefully considered as metaphors rather than referring to entities that exist in the mind. As a consequence, the second tenet emphasizes theories' definitions and guidelines for the operationalisation of those variables. The third tenet of pragmatic nihilism is that each operationalisation represents an intersection of a variety of dimensions, such as behavioural specificity and duration, and most importantly, psychological aggregation level. Any operationalisation thus represents a number of choices regarding these dimensions. Pragmatic nihilism has two implications. First, it provides a foundation that enables integrating theories in a more flexible and accurate manner than made possible by integrative theories. Second, it emphasizes the importance of operationalisations, underlining the importance of investing in the careful development of measurement instruments, thorough reporting of measurement instruments' specifics and performance, and full disclosure of the instruments themselves.