A longitudinal diary study of the effects of causalityorientations on exercise-related affect

Abstract

According to self-determination theory, a tendency to view causes of a behavior as autonomous, controlled, or impersonal can influence motivation, self-regulation, and experience. We propose that causality orientations for exercise may shape self-determined regulations for exercise by leading to more positive exercise-related affect, leading to greater internalization of exercise behavior and more self-determined regulations to exercise (e.g., regulation on the basis of inherent interest and personally-held values). Methods: Participants (N = 104) kept an online diary for four weeks documenting exercise behavior and affect experienced during exercise. Exercise causality orientations were measured at baseline and exercise regulations were measured at follow-up. Analyses were performed using multilevel modeling and path analysis. Results: Exercise-related affect was more positive for those with higher levels of the autonomy orientation and lower levels of the impersonal orientation. Exercise-related affect partially mediated the relationship between autonomy and impersonal orientations and self-determined regulations for exercise. Conclusions: Affective responses to self-selected exercise were more positive for those who tend to perceive exercise opportunities as more autonomous, which in turn led to more self-determined regulations.

Keywords:

• Affective response
• Intrinsic motivation
• Physical activity
• Self-determination theory

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a predoctoral fellowship awarded to the first author, NIMH F31 MH079636. Bethany Kwan is now at the Colorado Health Outcomes Program, University of Colorado Denver.

We wish to acknowledge the contributions of several undergraduate research assistants for their work on this project: Margaret Shean, Hannah Fields, and Caroline Stewart. We also wish to thank our participants, without whom this research would not have been possible.