TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - Affect and exercise: positive affective expectations can increase post-exercise mood and exercise intentions JO - Annals of behavioral medicine A1 - Helfer, Suzanne G. A1 - Elhai, Jon D. A1 - Geers, Andrew L. SP - 269 EP - 279 VL - 49 IS - 2 N2 - BACKGROUND: Prior research has found affect to predict exercise. Little research has examined the causal influence of exercise-related affect on exercise intentions.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test whether expectations about post-exercise affect can be successfully manipulated to produce changes in post-exercise affect and exercise intentions. We also tested whether cognitively elaborating on the expectation would increase the duration of the expectation effect.

METHODS: Participants (59 men, 89 women) were exposed to an affective expectation manipulation as well as an elaboration manipulation and then completed 10 min of light-intensity exercise on a stationary bicycle in the laboratory. Participants also completed a 2-week follow-up.

RESULTS: Affective expectation participants displayed more positive post-exercise affect and exercise intentions than no-expectation participants (ps < .05). Affective expectation participants who also elaborated on that expectation reported more positive post-exercise affect during the follow-up than the no-elaboration participants (p < .05).

CONCLUSION: Expectations about positive post-exercise affect can be experimentally manipulated to increase exercise-related feelings and intentions. The duration of this effect increases when individuals cognitively elaborate on the expectation.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0883-6612 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9656-1 ID - ref1 ER -