Intention - behaviour gap: self-efficacy, explicit motives and implicit associations in the initiation of exercise

Abstract

Objective: This research examined differences between those who intended to participate in an exercise program and subsequently exercised (inclined actors) and those who intended to but did not participate (inclined abstainers) in task, coping, and scheduling self-efficacy (SE), implicit automatic associations with exercise and appearance/body shape and health and explicit motives of appearance, weight management, and positive health. SE, automatic associations and explicit motives were assessed as predictors of being an inclined actor or abstainer. Gender differences were assessed. Methods: A total of 361 participants (271 inclined actors and 90 inclined abstainers) aged 35-65 completed two Go/No Go tasks to measure automatically activated associations of exercise, the Exercise Motivations Inventory and the Multidimensional Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale. Analysis of variance and logistic regression models were used to examine hypotheses. Results: Inclined actors had higher task, coping and scheduling SE then abstainers. Female inclined actors had stronger explicit appearance motives than female abstainers, whereas male inclined actors had weaker appearance motives than male abstainers. For implicit automatic associations male inclined actors had higher associations with positive appearance/body shape then male inclined abstainers. Coping SE (β = 1.023) was a significant predictor of being an inclined actor.. Conclusions: This research aids in understanding the intention-behavior relationship by showing that levels of SE, implicit associations with appearance/body shape, and explicit appearance motives contributes to the enactment of intentions and engagement in exercise behavior.