Exercise Experiences and Changes in Affective Attitude: Direct and Indirect Effects of In Situ Measurements of Experiences

Transforming Sedentary Lifestyles: The impact of remote VR and flat-screen interventions on affective attitudes towards physical exertion, guided by avatar or human trainers

This study advances understanding of the impact of flat-screen and virtual reality (VR) remote exercise environments in a home setting on affective attitudes towards physical exertion, with either a human or an avatar trainer. Employing a two-by-two factorial design, we manipulated both the medium (flat screen vs. VR) and the type of trainer (human vs. avatar). A total of 108 participants engaged in the study using a custom VR application for the Oculus Quest 2 headset or training videos, both prepared specifically for this study. The participants underwent a 15-min high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimen, completing six workouts in their homes within fourteen days. Data on their exercise experiences and their affective attitudes towards exercise were collected using the CAWI technique. These were next analysed using a model that presumes that exercise experiences can increase motivation to exercise. We also studied the roles of spatial presence and trainer relatedness. Our results show that VR physical training shifted affective attitudes towards exercise positively, in contrast to the flat-screen groups. Moreover, using a digital avatar as a trainer had no negative effect on this favourable change in attitude. The change in affective attitude was influenced primarily by baseline levels and the wellbeing experienced during training. The factors we added to the original model-relatedness to the trainer and spatial presence-also contributed significantly to wellbeing. Perception of competence was a critical determinant of wellbeing, while perceived exertion was largely irrelevant. The HIIT protocol in the study was suitable for VR exercise.

Understanding professional development challenges of Chinese public health professionals: association and prediction analyses with data validity screening

Background

Little is known about the public health professionals engaged in educating and training new or future researchers in public health. Research in this direction identifies their issues, concerns, challenges, and needs. This study focused on the professional development challenges of Chinese public health professionals.

Methods

Snowball sampling was utilized. A total of 265 public health professionals participated. An instrument of 6 dimensions (burnout, sleep issue, mood issue, friends' support, exercise, and challenges) was developed, revised, and administered online. Two different approaches, the conventional and data screening approaches, were applied. The former started with item quality analyses, whereas the latter began with data quality checks. The chi-square tests of associations and logistic regressions were performed on both approaches.

Results and discussion

19.25% of the participants were detected and deleted as careless respondents. Using both approaches, six professional development challenges except one ("Multidisciplinary learning") were significantly associated with various demographic features. The two approaches produced different models though they converged sometimes. The latent variables of exercise predicted professional development challenges more frequently than other latent variables. Regarding correct classification rates, results from the data screening approach were comparable to those from the conventional approach.

Conclusion

The latent variables of exercise, such as "Exercise effects," "Expectations of exercise," and "Belief in exercise," might be understudied. More research is necessary for professional development challenges using exercise as a multidimensional construct. Based on the current study, screening and deleting careless responses in survey research is necessary.

Intention to Engage in Mountain Sport During the Summer Season in Climate Change Affected Environments

Natural environments can make it easier to engage in regular physical activity, including mountain sport activities. However, global warming is expected to change natural environments, especially in mountainous regions with potential impacts on physical activity behavior. While there is some evidence of a reduced intention to engage in winter sport in climate change affected environments, little is known on the impact of climate change in mountain sports conducted in the summer season. Therefore, the present study aimed at comparing the effect of being exposed to a climate change affected scenario (CCA) to being exposed to a climate change unaffected scenario (CCU) on the intention to engage in summer mountain sport activities. Furthermore, we aimed to analyze the role of anticipated affective responses in the context of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Using a web-based experimental cross-sectional study design, participants were randomly allocated to scenarios of either CCA or CCU pictures. Participants were asked to complete questions about TPB variables and about affective responses referring to the displayed scenarios. Statistical analyses included tests on group differences and hierarchical linear regression analyses. TPB variables (intention to engage in summer mountain sport, attitude, and perceived behavioral control) did not show significant group differences between CCA (n = 155) and CCU (n = 156), p > 0.131; r < −0.10. Significantly lower anticipated affective valence was found in CCA compared to CCU, p < 0.001, r = −0.43. Affective valence did not significantly improve the TPB model, change in R² = 0.7%, p = 0.096. However, a higher affective valence was significantly associated with a higher attitude toward summer mountain sport, beta = 0.19, p < 0.001. Intention to engage in summer mountain sport was similar in the groups. Therefore, an immediate reduced engagement in mountain sport activities due to climate change seems unlikely in the summer season, although differentiated findings across various activities of summer mountain sport cannot be excluded. A reduced affective valence during summer mountain sport activities might occur in the presence of signs of climate change in the environment, which may lead to longer-term behavior changes in climate change affected scenarios also in the summer by repeated experiences of reduced valence.

“Some hate it, others love it”: Formation of automatic and reflective affective processes toward exercising in fitness centers and mountain biking

Based on a dual process approach, this study was conducted to test whether automatic affective processes toward exercise are not only interrelated with the amount of exercise but also distinctive for different types of exercise. In a quasi-experimental setting, N = 60 participants (30.87 years ± 7.53; 33% female) completed an Evaluative Priming task to assess automatic affective processes toward exercising in fitness centers, mountain biking and exercise in general and completed a questionnaire about their exercise behavior and their reflective affective processes toward each type of exercise. The results showed that the automatic affective processes toward exercising in fitness centers differed significantly among the three groups (d = 0.74). Those who regularly exercise in fitness centers (n = 21) provided the most positive automatic affective processes, followed by mountain bikers (n = 16) and those engaging in little or no exercise (n = 23). Automatic affective processes toward mountain biking were nonsignificant between groups (p = 0.30; d = 0.42). All reflective affective processes assessed via questionnaire resulted in significant differences between the three groups, always in favor of those who often perform the respective exercise. Our results show that automatic affective processes toward exercising in fitness centers are distinctive for the preference for this type of exercise. Furthermore, they underline the importance of choosing an adequate measurement technique to assess automatic affective processes toward exercise, especially if these processes should be indicative for the preference of different types of exercise.

Daily Instrumental and Affective Attitudes About Exercise: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

BACKGROUND

Daily decisions to exercise may be influenced by day-to-day changes in affective attitudes (AA) and instrumental attitudes (IA) toward exercise. However, the within-day association between AA, IA, and exercise behavior has received little attention.

PURPOSE

To examine the effects of more temporally proximal (daily) AA and IA on daily exercise behavior beyond traditionally assessed distal (at the beginning of an exercise program) AA and IA.

METHODS

In the context of a 3-month exercise promotion program (N = 50), distal AA and IA were assessed at baseline. Ecological momentary assessment was used to assess proximal AA, IA, and exercise each day.

RESULTS

Between-subject differences in distal AA (OR = 1.28, p = .03) and distal IA (OR = 1.34, p = .01) were predictive of average likelihood of exercise each day over the 3-month period. Within-subject differences in proximal AA (OR = 1.19, p = .007), but not proximal IA (OR = 1.11, p = .18), predicted exercise each day beyond the between-subjects effects of distal AA and IA. Exploratory analysis revealed an interaction, such that the within-subjects impact of proximal AA on daily exercise was most evident among individuals who held more negative distal AA at baseline (OR = 0.80, p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Attitude type (affective versus instrumental) and temporality (distal versus proximal) are important to consider in attempts to predict and understand exercise behavior. In addition to targeting change in distal attitudes, exercise interventions should target changes in daily AA to impact exercise later in the same day.

Acute Effects of a Single Bout of Walking on Affective Responses in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Exercise programs are considered an effective (add-on) treatment option for depressive disorders. However, little is known about the acute effects of exercise on affective responses in in-patient settings. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the effects of a single 30-min bout of walking on affective responses to a passive control condition in patients with major depressive disorder during treatment in a mental health center. In total, 23 in-patients were exposed to two conditions (duration: 30 min) using a within-subject design: an exercise (light-moderate walking outdoors) and a passive control condition (sitting and reading). Affective responses were assessed based on the Circumplex Model in four phases: pre, during, post, and two hours following the conditions. The main results include a significantly larger pre-post increase in energetic arousal in the exercise condition compared to the control condition, p = 0.012, η_p² = 0.25, but no significantly different pre-follow-up change between conditions, p = 0.093, η_p² = 0.12. Negatively valenced affective responses showed significantly stronger pre-post decreases after the exercise condition compared to the passive control condition, p < 0.036, η_p² > 0.18. Positively valenced affective response activity showed a pre-post increase in the exercise condition and a pre-post decrease in the passive control condition, p = 0.017, η_p² = 0.23. The higher-activated, positively valenced immediate response of light- to moderate-intensity walking may serve as an acute emotion regulation in patients with major depressive disorder and provide a favorable state for adherence to exercise programs.

Within-Person Variation of Affective Well-Being during and after Exercise: Does the Person-Exercise Fit Matter?

Affective well-being is positively linked to regular exercise. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that influence intra-individual variability of affective well-being. This study investigated (1) whether affective responses vary within an individual and (2) how affective responses are associated with a motive-incentive fit and a skill-task fit. A total of 107 adults (66% females, Mage = 41.79 years old, 58% doing no exercise) took part in three exercise sessions in a random order. Each session lasted 30 min with a break of 10 min between. The sessions were similarly structured but covered diverse activity incentives (e.g., figure vs. social contact vs. aesthetic movements). Intraclass correlation coefficients showed a very high within-person variation of affective valence and enjoyment across the exercise sessions. The results of multi-level regression analyses revealed that associations between perceived competence, considered to be an indicator of the skill-task fit, and affective well-being were moderate to high, whereas those between motive-incentive fit and affective well-being were low to moderate.

Exergaming as a Community Program for Older Adults: The Effects of Social Interaction and Competitive Information

This study examined how different types of social interaction and competitive information in exergaming affect older adults' motivation and attitude toward playing exergames. A 2 (time: pre- vs. posttest) × 3 (social interaction: play alone vs. play with peer vs. play with youth) × 2 (competition: competition informed vs. noncompetition informed) mixed experiment was conducted with 319 Singaporean older adults over 6 weeks through a three-way analysis of variance. Social interaction was found to significantly affect the changes of extrinsic motivation over time, while competitive information affected intrinsic motivation significantly. The results showed significant three-way interaction effects between time, social interaction, and competitive information on older adults' extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. The changes of attitude over time were not affected by either social interaction or competitive information. The findings contribute to aging research and advance the knowledge of potential factors that promote the effective implementation of exergames for community older adults.

Erfassung unmittelbarer affektiver Reaktionen auf körperliche Aktivität

Zusammenfassung. Affektive Reaktionen während körperlicher Aktivität haben in den letzten Jahren vermehrtes Forschungsinteresse erfahren. In englischsprachigen Forschungsarbeiten werden vielfach die zwei Single-Item-Verfahren „Feeling Scale“ ( Hardy & Rejeski, 1989 ) und „Felt Arousal Scale“ ( Svebak & Murgatroyd, 1985 ) zur Erhebung angewendet. Für den deutschsprachigen Raum liegen bisher keine validierten Übersetzungen dieser Verfahren vor. Daher wurden 82 Personen bei einer Fahrradergometrie deutsche Übersetzungen der FS und FAS vorgelegt. Zur Prüfung der Validität wurde parallel das „Self-Assessment Manikin“-Verfahren ( Bradley & Lang, 1994 ) eingesetzt und individuelle Variationen auf Between- und Within-Person Ebene analysiert. Die Korrelationen zwischen FS und SAM Dimension Valenz ( r = .72 bis .73) sowie zwischen FAS und SAM Dimension Aktivierung ( r = .50 bis .62) waren mit den englischsprachigen Validierungsstudien vergleichbar. Auf Basis dieses Beitrags können die Möglichkeiten für die Erhebung von affektiven Reaktionen im deutschen Sprachraum erweitert werden, wobei Validierungen in weiteren Personengruppen empfehlenswert sind.

Potential Utility of Self-Report Measures of Affect to Optimise Exercise Adherence in People with Type 2 Diabetes

Exercise is essential for managing type 2 diabetes, however approximately only 40% of people with the condition meet guidelines. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence regarding the use self-report measures of affect to understand and predict exercise adherence. Self-reported affect has been successfully used to regulate exercise intensity, monitor training load, prevent injury, and predict future physical activity participation in otherwise healthy and some clinical populations. Specific recommendations are provided for research to explore the utility of self-report measures of affect to promote exercise adherence in people with type 2 diabetes.

Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Factors Associated with Psychological Distress in Mountain Exercisers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Austria

Knowledge about potential protective factors against mental health problems is highly needed. Regular physical activity (PA) in an outdoor environment, like mountain exercising, might reduce psychological distress. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of mental health problems in mountain exercisers and to detect factors associated with psychological distress. In a cross-sectional design, we collected self-reported data of 1,536 Austrian mountain exercisers. The prevalence of mental health problems and psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), the level of PA International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and affective valence during PA (Feeling Scale) were obtained. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess factors influencing psychological distress. The prevalence of mental health problems in Austrian mountain exercisers was 14%. Health-enhancing PA level and higher affective valence during PA were significantly associated with lower psychological distress. Minimal PA level was not significantly associated with lower psychological distress compared to inactive PA level. Marital status, education, alpine association membership, and body mass index did not show a significant influence on psychological distress. The prevalence of mental health problems seems to be lower in Austrian mountain exercisers compared to the European population. A health-enhancing PA level and affective valence increasing forms of PA were shown to be associated with lower psychological distress. Results might lead to interventional studies focusing on the potential of outdoor PA, e.g., mountain exercise, as an adjunct treatment in people at risk or with mental health problems.

Do placebo expectations influence perceived exertion during physical exercise?

This study investigates the role of placebo expectations in individuals’ perception of exertion during acute physical exercise. Building upon findings from placebo and marketing research, we examined how perceived exertion is affected by expectations regarding a) the effects of exercise and b) the effects of the exercise product worn during the exercise. We also investigated whether these effects are moderated by physical self-concept. Seventy-eight participants conducted a moderate 30 min cycling exercise on an ergometer, with perceived exertion (RPE) measured every 5 minutes. Beforehand, each participant was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions and watched a corresponding film clip presenting “scientific evidence” that the exercise would or would not result in health benefits and that the exercise product they were wearing (compression garment) would additionally enhance exercise benefits or would only be worn for control purposes. Participants’ physical self-concept was assessed via questionnaire. Results partially demonstrated that participants with more positive expectations experienced reduced perceived exertion during the exercise. Furthermore, our results indicate a moderator effect of physical self-concept: Individuals with a high physical self-concept benefited (in terms of reduced perceived exertion levels) in particular from an induction of generally positive expectations. In contrast, individuals with a low physical self-concept benefited when positive expectations were related to the exercise product they were wearing. In sum, these results suggest that placebo expectations may be a further, previously neglected class of psychological factors that influence the perception of exertion.

Affective responses in mountain hiking-A randomized crossover trial focusing on differences between indoor and outdoor activity

INTRODUCTION

Affective responses during physical activity (PA) are important for engagement in PA programs and for adherence to a physically active lifestyle. Little is known about the affective responses to PA bouts lasting longer than 45 minutes. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to analyse acute effects on affective responses of a three-hour outdoor PA intervention (mountain hiking) compared to a sedentary control situation and to an indoor treadmill condition.

METHODS

Using a randomized crossover design, 42 healthy participants were randomly exposed to three different conditions: outdoor mountain hiking, indoor treadmill walking, and sedentary control situation (approximately three hours each). Measures included the Feeling Scale, Felt Arousal Scale and a Mood Survey Scale. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyse differences between the conditions.

RESULTS

Compared to the control situation, the participants showed a significant increase in affective valence (d = 1.21, p < .001), activation (d = 0.81, p = .004), elation (d = 1.07, p < .001), and calmness (d = 0.84, p = .004), and a significant decrease in fatigue (d = -1.19, p < .001) and anxiety (d = -.79, p < .001) after mountain hiking. Outdoor mountain hiking showed significantly greater positive effects on affective valence, activation, and fatigue compared to indoor treadmill walking.

DISCUSSION

The results indicate that a three-hour PA intervention (mountain hiking) elicits higher positive and lower negative affective responses compared to a sedentary control situation and to an indoor PA condition. Outdoor mountain hiking can be recommended by health professionals as a form of PA with the potential to positively influence affective responses.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02853760. https://clinicaltrials.gov/. Date of registration: 08/02/2016 (retrospectively registered). Date of enrolment of the first participant to the trial: 05/01/2014.