Effects of Perceived Fitness Level of Exercise Partner on Intensity of Exertion

Abstract

Problem statement: Social comparison theory was used to examine if exercising with a research confederate posing as either high fit or low fit would increase the exertion in exercising. Approach: 91 college students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Biking alone, biking with a high fit confederate, or biking with a low fit confederate. All participants were instructed to complete 20 min of exercise at 60-70% of their maximum target heart rate. Results: Results indicated that participants in the high fit condition exercised harder than those in the low fit condition. However, no mood differences emerged between conditions. Conclusion: Social comparison theory predicts exercise outcome such that participants gravitate towards the behavior (high fit or low fit) of those around them.

Exploring the experience of adhering to a prescribed pre-surgical exercise program for patients with advanced rectal cancer: A phenomenological study

“…Similar to other studies (Feltz, Kerr, & Irwin, 2011;Irwin, Scorniaenchi, Kerr, Eisenmann, & Feltz, 2012;Plante et al, 2010;Winchester et al, 2012), the peer-based aspect of the program not only encouraged ongoing program participation, but also increased patients' motivation to exercise harder during each session. It could be possible that receiving positive encouragement from others enhanced patients' belief in their ability to exercise (i.e., self-efficacy) and that this led to increases in effort (Hutchinson, Sherman, Martinovic, & Tenenbaum, 2008).…”

“…In this regard, it is possible that having another person exercise next to patients created a sense of healthy competition, and this nurtured the patients' desire to do better. In support of this proposition, researchers have shown that exercise performance increases in competitive settings (Plante et al, 2010;Rhea, Landers, Alvar, & Arent, 2003). Thus, while competitive environments can decrease intrinsic motivation (Frederick-Recascino & Schuster-Smith, 2003), it appears that it is not always demotivating, and can be motivating in some circumstances.…”

Framing new pathways in transformative exercise for individuals with existing and newly acquired disability

“…Group dynamics involve a participant joining an exercise class that builds social cohesion with other members of the class and has consistently been shown to improve adherence [69–71]. Other benefits of group exercise may include adopting positive exercise behaviors of the group [72], and reduced stress [73]. Sample recreational activities include tennis/wheelchair tennis, golf with or without an accessible golf cart, various forms of adapted dance, hiking, handcyling/cycling and warm-water aquatics classes, such as volleyball or tai chi.…”

People's Perceptions and Beliefs about their Ability to Exercise with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Qualitative Study

“…People engage in exercise for a variety of reasons, including perceived health benefits and social enjoyment (Ogden, 2012;Plante et al, 2010). A person's perceptions and beliefs about exercise may determine their engagement with exercise (Whaley and Schrider, 2005).…”