The moderating role of implicit attitudes on intention and physical activity behaviour

Abstract

Background: Social-cognitive models which focus on explicit cognitions are commonly used to explain and change physical activity (PA) behavior. The proportion of behavioral variance these models are able to explain is about 30%. More research is needed to assess which factors may explain additional variance. Little is known about the role of unconscious and automatic cognitions in this context. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of implicit and explicit attitudes regarding PA. Methods: Participants (N=166) completed measures of explicit cognitions (explicit attitude, social norms, self-efficacy, intention, self-reported PA) and a Single-Category IAT to assess implicit attitudes towards PA. Linear and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to assess moderating associations between implicit and explicit factors. Findings: Of all participants, 99% had a positive explicit attitude and 49% a positive implicit attitude towards PA. Explicit attitudes, social norms, and self-efficacy explained 40% of the variance in intention (R2=.40). Implicit attitudes did not improve model fit. However the aforementioned variables explain considerably more of the variance in intention for people with a positive (R2=.57) compared to those with a negative implicit attitude (R2=.46). Also an effect of implicit attitudes x intention on PA has been found. Hence, intention is a better predictor for PA for people with a positive (R2=.21) than for those with a negative implicit attitude (R2=.01). Discussion: Results indicate that implicit attitudes act as a moderator on intention and PA behavior. PA promotion efforts could be improved by also considering and changing implicit attitudes.