Social physique anxiety experiences in physical activity: a comprehensive synthesis of research studies focused on measurement, theory, and predictors and outcomes

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) settings such as sport, exercise, and physical education are inherently social and evaluative in nature, with much attention directed at how the body looks and performs. As such, these settings foster a host of positive and negative emotional experiences. Social physique anxiety (SPA) is a commonly studied emotion that emanates from, or motivates, PA behaviors. In this synthesis of the 126 identified research papers focused on SPA and related experiences in sport, exercise, and physical education, we summarize the theoretical roots and measurement of SPA, present research evidence on predictors and outcomes of SPA experiences, explore links between SPA and PA behaviors, and offer insight on the future directions of SPA research. Specifically, researchers in sport and exercise psychology are encouraged to broaden the study of SPA to conduct longitudinal and experimental studies, develop quality intervention strategies aimed at reducing SPA experiences, and expand on the theoretical and operational understandings of SPA experiences across the lifespan.

Keywords:

• social physique anxiety
• physical activity
• review

Supplemental data

Supplemental Tables 1 and 2 can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2014.904392. The underlying research materials for this article can be accessed at http://physical.utoronto.ca/health-and-exercise-psychology-unit/publications/peer-reviewed-research-articles.