Competition of internal and external information in an exercise setting.

Abstract

During physical exercise, individuals have access to internal sensory and external environmental cues that compete for attentional focus. Two experiments examined when attention to external cues attenuates the perception of physical symptoms and fatigue. In Experiment 1, subjects' physical performance was held constant during exercise on a treadmill. Subjects hearing distracting sounds reported less fatigue and fewer symptoms than subjects hearing an amplification of their own breathing. In Experiment 2, subjects jogging equal length cross-country and lap courses evinced faster times on the former, where increased external attention was necessary. Self-reports of symptoms and fatigue, however, were comparable on the two courses. The results are interpreted in terms of attentional focus shifting from one information source to another as needed, with attention to any one source diminishing attention to others.

Emotions and self‐esteem as indicators of somatic complaints in children

“…Second, additional analysis of the coping balance revealed that depression and somatic complaints are related to the physiological but not the emotional scale. This outcome seems to undermine Pennebaker's rivalry hypothesis (Pennebaker & Lightner, 1980;Pennebaker & Skelton, 1981). However, the Coping Focus Questionnaire may be limited in revealing this kind of rivalry because an emotional point of view, which might have escaped somebody's attention in normal circumstances, could be hard to ignore when explicitly asked about.…”

“…A focus on somatic sensations and explanations inhibits attention to the emotional, external situation. This process can be demonstrated empirically (Pennebaker, 1982;Pennebaker & Lightner, 1980;Pennebaker & Skelton, 1981).…”

Effects of distraction on treadmill running time in severely obese children and adolescents

“…The competition between external and internal cues is then resolved by an attentional priority for external cues, resulting in the perception of less bodily symptoms. Investigating the idea of competition between internal and external cues, Pennebaker and Lightner 21 found that joggers running 1800 m in an environment with multiple external information (cross country) were faster than joggers running 1800 m in an environment lacking in external information (lap track) in the absence of differences in perceived fatigue and bodily symptoms. As there were indications that joggers had set their pace in line with their perception of fatigue and bodily symptoms, faster running in joggers running cross country was explained by a diminished perception of fatigue and bodily symptoms.…”

“…10,17 -20 It is possible that attentional distraction facilitates perseverance of physical activity. In one of the first papers on the relationship between attentional distraction and physical activity, Pennebaker and Lightner 21 reported two experiments with students. In a field experiment they found that focusing attention on external stimuli while running led to faster running compared to the processing of internal stimuli while running.…”

Healthy Modern Landscape Inherited from Hakka Culture

“…Environments featuring plant richness can promote children's and adults' enthusiasm for exercise [3] [4], and make them voluntarily extend the time of exercise [5]. Strolling through forests can substantially increase the activity of natural killer cells and the quantity of anti-cancer active proteins, and decrease the secretion of adrenal hormones.…”