How to Investigate Within-Subject Associations between Physical Activity and Momentary Affective States in Everyday Life: A Position Statement Based on a Literature Overview

Abstract

Several meta-analyses have investigated the association between physical activity and affective states and have found evidence suggesting that exercise exerts a positive effect on affective state. However, in this field of research, most studies have conducted between-subject analyses. Nonetheless, there is more and more interest in the within-subject associations between physical activity and momentary affective states in everyday life. This position statement pertains to this up-and-coming field of research and provides methodological recommendations for further studies. The paper is divided into three parts: first, we summarize and evaluate three methodological requirements necessary for the proper evaluation of within-subject associations between physical activity and momentary affective states in everyday life. We propose that the following issues should be considered: (a) to address the dynamic nature of such relationships, repeated assessments are necessary; (b) as activities performed in everyday life are mostly spontaneous and unconscious, an objective assessment of physical activity is useful; (c) given that recall of affective states is often affected by systematic distortions, real-time assessment is preferable. In sum, we suggest the use of ambulatory assessment techniques, and more specifically the combination of accelerometer-assessment of physical activity with an electronic diary assessment of the momentary affective state and additional context information. Second, we summarize 22 empirical studies published between 1980 and 2012 using ambulatory assessment to investigate within-subject associations between momentary affective states and physical activity in everyday life. Generally, the literature overview detects a positive association, which appears stronger among those studies that were of high methodological quality. Third, we propose the use of ambulatory assessment intervention (AAIs) strategies to change people’s behavior and to enable people to be active as often as possible during the day (e.g., reducing sitting time, taking more steps per day).

Within- and between individual variability of personality characteristics and physical exercise

“…They reported that increases in physical activity were associated with subsequent levels of positive affect, but not with negative affect. Consistent findings have been reported in other studies (Bossmann, Kanning, Koudela-Hamila, Hey, & Ebner-Priemer, 2013;Feuerhahn, Sonnentag, & Woll, 2014;Kanning, Ebner-Priemer, & Schlicht, 2013), but not all (Kühnhausen, Leonhardt, Dirk, & Schmiedek, 2013).…”

“…The similarity in the findings at the two levels of analyses was also observed in the analyses of item-specific associations, although some associations were not "significant". This finidng may not be surprising, but it is not trivial, because there is no a priori reason to assume that the associations would be similar (Kanning et al, 2013;Kievit et al, 2013). In principle, it could have been that generally more extraverted individuals are also generally more active, but mostly at times when they have been less extraverted than is usual for them (e.g., to regain their level of extraversion or overcome boredom), yielding a negative within-individual association.…”

“…These three domains were selected because they have been most consistently linked with physical exercise at the level of Personality states and physical exercise 6 between-individual variance (Rhodes & Smith, 2006). Although the two levels of analyses can often yield very different results (Kievit, Frankenhuis, Waldorp, & Borsboom, 2013;Kanning, Ebner-Priemer, & Schlicht, 2013), expecting some isomorphism across them seems a sensible starting point. In addition to domain scores, facets of the domains (operationalized as single items) were considered, because many associations between personality characteristics and non-personality variables are facet-or item-specific, and when this happens the associations should arguably be interpreted exactly at this level Mõttus, 2016;Vainik, Mõttus, Allik, Esko, & Realo, 2015).…”

The promise of wearable sensors and ecological momentary assessment measures for dynamical systems modeling in adolescents: a feasibility and acceptability study

“…However, currently available products are not well aligned with scientific findings [19]. Inferences about the experiences of an individual cannot be made without observing that individual when he/she is physically active or not.…”

“…The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel and intensive ecological momentary assessment method for assessing behavioral, psychosocial, and physiological variables utilizing two objective sensors and a mobile application (app). This paper addresses calls in the literature to assess variables in nearly real time, to measure behaviors objectively, and to assess the dynamic linkage between psychological variables, physiological variables, and health behaviors [9]. This study advances the research literature by describing an intensive assessment protocol for just-in-time capture of variables that stand to impact health behavior change.…”