title: Affect and exercise: positive affective expectations can increase post-exercise mood and exercise intentions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prior research has found affect to predict exercise. Little research has examined the causal influence of exercise-related affect on exercise intentions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to test whether expectations about post-exercise affect can be successfully manipulated to produce changes in post-exercise affect and exercise intentions. We also tested whether cognitively elaborating on the expectation would increase the duration of the expectation effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (59 men, 89 women) were exposed to an affective expectation manipulation as well as an elaboration manipulation and then completed 10 min of light-intensity exercise on a stationary bicycle in the laboratory. Participants also completed a 2-week follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Affective expectation participants displayed more positive post-exercise affect and exercise intentions than no-expectation participants (ps < .05). Affective expectation participants who also elaborated on that expectation reported more positive post-exercise affect during the follow-up than the no-elaboration participants (p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expectations about positive post-exercise affect can be experimentally manipulated to increase exercise-related feelings and intentions. The duration of this effect increases when individuals cognitively elaborate on the expectation.
authors.affiliation: Adrian College, Adrian, MI, USA, shelfer@adrian.edu.
authors.forename: Suzanne G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Helfer
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Elhai
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Geers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D004644:Emotions; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult