Relationships of Social Physique Anxiety and Behavioural Regulations to the Intention-Behaviour Gap Model

Abstract

Given the increasing rate of inactive individuals, it is crucial that there is research focused on understanding the factors that may be related to lower exercise behaviour. A number of constructs are known to have a relationship with participation in exercise behaviour, including social physique anxiety, motivational constructs from self-determination theory, and the intention-behaviour gap. The research that has been reviewed for this study demonstrates links between these constructs; however, it has yielded inconsistent conclusions. Accordingly, this study focused on understanding, in more detail, how social physique anxiety and motivational constructs from self-determination theory are related to the gap between intention to exercise and exercise behaviour. The main purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the different motivation regulations proposed by organismic integration theory within self-determination theory and the presence of social physique anxiety along with the effects both of these have on translation of young adults’ intentions to exercise behaviour. Thus, this study helped clarify some of the questions in regards to the gap between behaviour and intention when taking into consideration social physique anxiety and motivation regulation differences. Participants were 110 young adults, both men and women from the ages of 18-35. Of the 110 participants, only 28 were men; therefore, men and women were not examined separately. Two surveys were conducted online one week apart from one another. Most of the hypotheses were partially supported by the model with significant findings in motivation regulations. As predicted, individuals with more autonomous form of motivations were more likely to have intentions to exercise and to follow through with those intentions. Individuals with more external regulations were less likely to have intentions to exercise and less likely to follow through with intentions. However, social physique anxiety was not related to the translation of intention to exercise behaviour. In conclusion, the intention-behaviour gap and the role of motivational regulations are important to consider when investigating exercise behaviours. If this gap is to be diminished, interventions will need to be developed to increase people’s autonomous regulations and less focus should be given to motivating people with external rewards.