Emphasizing appearance versus health outcomes in exercise: the influence of the instructor and participants' reasons for exercise.
The objectifying nature of exercise environments may prevent women from reaping psychological benefits of exercise. The present experiment manipulated self-objectification through an exercise class taught by an instructor who emphasized exercise as either a means of acquiring appearance or health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to test for interactions between the class emphasis and participants' reasons for exercise (i.e., appearance, health) predicting participants' state self-objectification, state social physique anxiety, exercise class enjoyment, and future intentions of returning to a similar exercise class. Results, obtained via pre- and post-exercise questionnaires, revealed a significant interaction between class emphasis and health reasons for exercise predicting state self-objectification. Participants with lower health reasons for exercise reported greater state self-objectification in the appearance-focused class compared to those with higher health reasons for exercise. Adopting stronger health reasons for exercise may buffer exercise participants from the more objectifying aspects of the group exercise environment.
School of Kinesiology and Recreation, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, United States. Electronic address: shan.eliz.ohara@gmail.com.
Shannon E
SE
O'Hara
School of Kinesiology and Recreation, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, United States. Electronic address: anne.cox@wsu.edu.
Anne E
AE
Cox
School of Kinesiology and Recreation, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, United States. Electronic address: ajamoro@ilstu.edu.
Anthony J
AJ
Amorose
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009042:Motivation; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D012945:Social Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Exercise environment; Group exercise; Reasons for exercise; Self-objectification; Social physique anxiety