Gu X, Zhang T, Smith K. PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS' MOTIVATIONAL RESPONSES: A PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS.
Percept Mot Skills 2015;
120:700-13. [PMID:
26057418 DOI:
10.2466/06.pms.120v19x0]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
According to social cognitive theory, group cohesion and self-efficacy have been identified as important environmental and individual elements in students' physical activity. This study examined the correlations among group cohesion, exercise self-efficacy, perceived interest, and physical activity among 143 female college students (M age = 21.2 yr., SD = 4.2) enrolled in aerobics dance classes. Participants were recruited by researchers at the beginning of the semester. In the 6th wk., students completed a questionnaire measuring group cohesion construct. At the end of the 13th wk., a survey on self-efficacy, perceived interest, and physical activity measures was completed by the students. Multiple regression analyses indicated both exercise self-efficacy and task cohesion explained significant variance in students' physical activity; also, Individual Attraction to the Group-Task (ATG-T) accounted for 9.6% of the variance in exercise self-efficacy. The results suggest that enhancing group cohesiveness may promote competence beliefs, which could motivate students' participation in group activity programs.
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