Anticipated affective consequences of physical activity adoption and maintenance.
OBJECTIVE
The expected emotional consequences of future actions are thought to play an important role in health behavior change. This research examined whether anticipated affective consequences of success and failure vary across stages of physical activity change and differentially predict physical activity adoption as compared to maintenance.


METHODS
Using a prospective design over a 3-month period, a community sample of 329 healthy, middle-aged adults were assessed at 2 time points.


METHODS
Anticipated positive and negative emotions, stage of behavior change (precontemplation [PC], contemplation [C], preparation [P], action [A], maintenance [M]), and level of physical activity.


RESULTS
At baseline, anticipated positive emotions were greater in C versus PC, whereas anticipated negative emotions were greater in M versus A and in M versus P. Higher anticipated positive but not negative emotions predicted physical activity adoption and maintenance after 3 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the expected affective consequences of future success and failure differentiated among individuals in the early and later stages of physical activity change, respectively; only the anticipated affective consequences of success predicted future behavior.
Dunton
Genevieve Fridlund
GF
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California. duntong@mail.nih.gov
Vaughan
Elaine
E
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires