Momentary affective response to bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity predicts changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior during behavioral weight loss

BackgroundAffective responses are posited to be key predictors of the uptake and maintenance of health behaviors. However, few studies have examined how individuals’ affective response to physical activity, as well as the degree to which their affect response changes, may predict changes in physical activity and sedentary time during behavioral weight loss treatment.PurposeThe current study examined how baseline momentary affective response (i.e., stress and anxiety) to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the degree of pre--post intervention change in this response predicted change in daily sedentary, light, and MVPA time during a three-month internet-based weight loss program.MethodsWomen with overweight/obesity (final N = 37) completed 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocols with objective measurement of physical activity (i.e., bout-related MVPA time) before and after the intervention.ResultsWomen who had more reinforcing responses to MVPA (i.e., greater reductions in anxiety and stress response following MVPA bouts) at baseline had greater increases in overall MVPA at the end of the intervention. Those who had greater anxiety reductions after MVPA bouts at baseline also evidenced less sedentary time at the end of the intervention. Changes in affective responses across the intervention were not related to changes in physical activity levels.ConclusionsFindings suggest initial levels of affective reinforcement from MVPA bouts predict future change in MVPA and sedentary time during behavioral weight loss. Future work is needed to examine the utility of more precisely targeting affective responses to physical activity to optimize intervention approaches.     

Coach autonomy support predicts autonomous motivation and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in youth sport participants

ObjectiveGuided by self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1987), this study tested a trans-contextual model linking perceptions of the social environment created by the youth sport coach to levels of autonomous and controlled motivation, and objectively measured daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) in young football players.DesignThe study employed a cross-sectional design, assessing physical activity using accelerometers.Method105 male youth sport footballers (M age = 12.79 ± 1.85 years) wore a GT3X accelerometer for 7 days. Measures of height and weight were recorded. Participants completed a multi-section questionnaire assessing perceptions of autonomy support and controlling coaching behaviours, and motivation toward their participation in sport and physically active games.ResultsPath analysis supported a model in which players’ perceptions of coach-provided autonomy support positively predicted autonomous motivation for sport engagement. In turn, autonomous motivation was positively associated with MVPA, and negatively related to ST (min/day). Controlling coach behaviours were positively linked to controlled motivation. However, controlled motivation for sport and physically active games was unrelated to daily MVPA and ST. Perceptions of coach-provided autonomy support had a significant positive indirect effect on daily MVPA, and a significant negative indirect effect on daily ST.ConclusionsResults suggest that autonomy supportive coach behaviours are related to daily physical activity patterns in young male footballers. Theory-based interventions that aim to encourage autonomy supportive coaching, and subsequently foster autonomous reasons for sport engagement, may enhance the potential of youth sport for increasing daily MVPA and reducing ST among children and adolescents active in this setting     

Personality,motivational, and social cognition predictors of leisure-time physical activity

ObjectiveThe purpose of the present study was to investigate associations between personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism, autonomous motivation, and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs and leisure-time physical activity. The study examined whether autonomous motivation and the TPB constructs mediate the association between personality traits and physical activity, and whether personality traits moderate the relationship of autonomous motivation and the TPB constructs with physical activity.MethodsMiddle-aged women (N = 441) completed self-report measures of personality traits, autonomous motivation, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC) and intention. Moderate-to-vigorous leisure-time physical activity (MVPA) was measured using accelerometers approximately seven weeks later. Participants’ past accelerometer-based MVPA was available from four years earlier.ResultsOnly autonomous motivation and past MVPA directly predicted MVPA. Neuroticism and past MVPA were indirectly related with MVPA through autonomous motivation. No support for a moderator role of personality traits was found.ConclusionsCurrent data suggest that autonomous motivation and past experience are prominent determinants of accelerometer-based leisure-time MVPA, but not beliefs and intentions.     

Within-day time-varying associations between motivation and movement-related behaviors in older adults

ObjectivesEmerging evidence suggests both motivation and movement-related behaviors vary within and across days. Yet common data analytic approaches assume static or consistent relationships between motivation and behavior across time. Just as motivation and behavior change across time, so too might associations between motivation and behavior. This study will apply time-varying effect modeling to Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data to examine time of day differences in how motivational constructs predict older adults’ subsequent movement-related behavior over the next 2 h.DesignOlder adults (n = 104) completed a 10-day EMA protocol.MethodParticipants answered up to 6 EMA prompts/day to assess momentary intentions and self-efficacy to stand or move as well as intentions and self-efficacy to limit sedentary time over the next 2 h. Participants wore an activPAL accelerometer continuously to measure time spent being upright (i.e., standing or moving) and time spent sitting.ResultsOn weekdays, intentions and self-efficacy were generally predictive of subsequent behavior in the expected direction over the majority of the day whereas these constructs predicted subsequent behavior in the expected directions over a smaller range of times on weekend days.ConclusionsThis study adds to emerging evidence that associations between motivational constructs and subsequent behavior change over the course of the day, but these time-varying associations may be different depending on the day of week. This work has implications for intervention design and the timing of intervention content delivery in approaches like just-in-time adaptive interventions.     

The role of affect in the decision to exercise: Does being happy lead to a more active lifestyle?

ObjectiveThis study investigated the influence of affect on individuals' intentions to engage in physical activities such as exercise. Behavior intentions were examined through the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).MethodAn experimental survey was conducted among 153 undergraduates randomly assigned to three conditions – positive affect, neutral, and negative affect. Key variables from the TPB were assessed across these conditions.ResultsAnalyses showed that participants in the positive affect and the negative affect conditions reported lower intentions to exercise than those in the neutral condition. Participants in the negative affect condition also reported more unfavorable attitudes toward exercise than their positive or neutral counterparts. Other TPB measures remained stable across the three conditions. In particular, perceived behavioral control and attitude were significant predictors of behavior intention in the pooled sample.ConclusionThese results underline the important role that affect, especially negative affect, plays in individuals' decision to exercise. Rational models for health behavior change, such as the TPB, should take into account the impact of affect.     

Intrapersonal variability in interpersonal perception in romantic relationships: Biases and accuracy

We examined whether intrapersonal variability in the perception of partner’s behavior, perception spin, was related to partner’s intrapersonal variability in behavior, behavioral spin, and was associated with biases in the perception of negative affect. Ninety-three cohabiting couples reported their perceptions of partner’s affect and partner’s communal and agentic behavior in interactions with each other for 20 days. Perception spin was calculated as the within-person standard deviation of perception scores across interactions. Spin in the perception of the partner was associated with the partner’s behavioral spin. Participants with higher perception spin overestimated their partner’s negative affect and more strongly assumed that their partner’s affect was similar to their own negative affect. Thus, perception spin is an individual difference variable that reflects in part the extent of variability in the partner’s behavior, but higher spin also indicates distortions in perceptions of others.     

Impulsivity and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Examining the Role of Affect Manipulation

The assessment of impulsivity is complicated by the construct’s multi-faceted nature and poor correspondence between self-report and behavioral measures. These complications extend to populations anecdotally described as impulsive, including individuals who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Research suggests that self-injurers report impulsivity, primarily negative urgency. Thus, negative affect may be an important prerequisite for increased impulsive behaviors. The present laboratory study examined self-report impulsivity differences between individuals with and without a history of NSSI and if self-injurers demonstrated behavioral impulsivity when experiencing negative affect. Undergraduates with (N?=?54) and without (N?=?61) a history of NSSI participated in a two-part laboratory-based study that investigated the role of affect manipulation in impulsivity and NSSI. Participants were randomly assigned to either a negative or a neutral-relaxing mood induction. Participants completed self-report measures of impulsivity, NSSI, and negative affect. A behavioral measure of impulsivity was administered during Session 1 (prior to a mood induction task) and again during Session 2 (following a mood induction task) to determine whether affect had an effect on behavioral impulsivity task performance. Self-injurers reported higher negative urgency and lack of perseverance but did not display impulsivity on the behavioral task, even under conditions of negative affect.     

Relationship (in)congruency may differently impact mental health

BackgroundBeing involved in romantic relationships has historically been related to better mental health compared to being single. However, research exploring heterogeneity within these status groups is still understudied. Our study examined the role of (in)congruency between relationship desire, dismissal, satisfaction with relationship status, and current relationship status on the mental health measured in terms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and romantic loneliness.MethodThe online questionnaire survey included 790 participants aged 18 – 40 (M = 26.51, SD = 5.60) at baseline and 421 at a 1-month follow-up. Participants represented five relationship statuses (single, casual dating, LAT relationships, cohabitation, and engagement/marriage).ResultsOur results suggest that greater relationship desire and dismissal at baseline were associated with higher anxiety and depression in casual daters one month later, while greater relationship desire was linked to lower anxiety for individuals in living apart together relationships (LATs). Higher relationship dismissal in casual daters and engaged/married individuals was associated with lower insomnia. Higher satisfaction with relationship status was associated with lower depression in single individuals and lower romantic loneliness in cohabitors and engaged/married individuals.ConclusionsThis study highlights that relationship (in)congruency may operate differently across various relationship status subgroups on mental health outcomes.     

The effect of rebranding generic medicines on drug efficacy and side effects

Objectives: Subjective age is an important correlate of health, well-being, and longevity. So far, little is known about short-term variability in subjective age and the circumstances under which individuals feel younger/older in daily life. This study examined whether (a) older adults’ felt age fluctuates on a day-to-day basis, (b) daily changes in health, stressors, and affect explain fluctuations in felt age, and (c) the daily associations between felt age and health, stressors, or affect are time-ordered.

Method: Using an eight-day daily diary approach, N = 43 adults (60–96 years, M = 74.65, SD = 8.19) filled out daily questionnaires assessing subjective age, health, daily stressors, and affect. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling.

Main outcome measures: Subjective age, health, daily stressors, affect.

Results: Intra-individual variability in felt age was not explained by time but by short-term variability in other variables. Specifically, on days when participants experienced more than average health problems, stress, or negative affect they felt older than on days with average health, stress, or negative affect. No time-ordered effects were found.

Conclusion: Bad health, many stressors, and negative affective experiences constitute circumstances under which older adults feel older than they typically do. Thus, daily measures of subjective age could be markers of health and well-being.     

Body-related emotions and subsequent physical activity behaviour: An ecological momentary assessment

Body-related shame and guilt are theorized to be time-varying affective determinants of physical activity, yet research has predominantly relied on self-report measures of physical activity and between-person associations. To address these limitations, the present study used ecological momentary assessment to examine within- and between-person associations between body-related shame and guilt, and subsequent time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured by continuously worn accelerometers. University students (n = 98; 79.6% female; m_age = 19.45) were prompted 49 times over seven days to report body-related shame and guilt, and wore activPAL accelerometers to monitor movement behaviours. Higher levels of within-person body-related guilt, but not shame, were associated with increased subsequent time spent in MVPA. Contrary to existing literature, neither body-related shame nor guilt demonstrated a significant association with average levels of MVPA between individuals. These findings support theoretical propositions that body-related guilt may impact engagement in physical activity in daily life.     

Factors associated with adherence to the muscle-strengthening activity guideline among adolescents

PurposeWe aimed to explore associations between guideline-concordant muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) and demographic, biological, psychosocial, and behavioral factors among Australian adolescents.MethodsWe used baseline data from the ‘Resistance Training for Teens’ cluster randomized controlled trial (collected April–June 2015). Adolescents (n = 602, mean age = 14.1 ± 0.5 years, 50% female) from 16 schools in New South Wales, Australia self-reported their sex, primary language spoken at home, postal code (for socioeconomic status), resistance training (RT) self-efficacy, motivation for RT, perceived strength, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), screen-time, and sleep. Participants also completed tests of height, weight, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, flexibility, and RT skills. MSA was self-reported and participants were dichotomized as ‘meeting’ (3–7 days) or ‘not meeting’ (0–2 days) the MSA guideline. Binary logistic regression with odds ratios (OR) was used to determine associations with adolescents' MSA.ResultsAnalyses for each variable group explained a small-to-moderate proportion of the variance in MSA. Sex, muscular fitness, RT self-efficacy, perceived strength, and total MVPA emerged as statistically significant factors. However, only RT self-efficacy (OR = 2.48 [1.37 to 4.50]) and total MVPA (OR = 1.48 [1.22 to 1.79]) were associated with guideline-concordant MSA in the full model, which explained 52% of the variance.ConclusionsOur study adds to the limited understanding of adolescents' MSA behavior. RT self-efficacy and total MVPA were independently associated with guideline-concordant MSA among Australian adolescents. The findings have implications for the design and delivery of future interventions targeting adolescents’ MSA behavior.     

The effect of preterm birth on infant negative affect and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms: A preliminary examination in an underrepresented minority sample

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of preterm birth on maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and infant negative affect in an underrepresented minority sample.MethodParticipants were 102 mothers and their 3- to 10-month-old infants. Mothers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised.ResultsRelative to normative samples, the current underrepresented minority sample of mostly Hispanics and Blacks displayed high rates of preterm birth (30%) and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms (17%). Preterm birth had a significant direct effect on postpartum depressive symptoms and infant negative affect. Additionally, there was an indirect effect of postpartum depressive symptoms on the relation between preterm birth and infant negative affect. Specifically, lower birth weight and gestational age predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms in the mother, and higher levels of depressive symptoms in the mother, in turn, predicted higher levels of infant negative affect.ConclusionFindings emphasize the importance of screening for postpartum depressive symptoms and infant negative affect among mothers and their preterm infants, especially among families from underrepresented minority backgrounds.     

An exploration of the well-being benefits of hedonic and eudaimonic behaviour

Hedonia and eudaimonia have both been proposed as pathways to well-being. Past research in this area has predominantly focused on global cognitive evaluations of how one typically lives. Findings from such research lack practical relevance, and hence, this study aimed to investigate how actual hedonic and eudaimonic behaviour related to well-being and psychopathology. Participants (N?=?105) completed an array of well-being outcomes prior to completing an online diary, reporting actual instances of hedonic and eudaimonic behaviour. Participants spent more time engaged in hedonic activity than eudaimonic activity. Hedonic activity served an emotion regulation function, predicting positive affect, carefreeness, vitality, and life satisfaction. Hedonic behaviour also predicted reduced negative affect, depression, and stress. Eudaimonic behaviour predicted meaning in life and elevating experience. Both hedonic and eudaimonic behaviours predicted flourishing. These findings suggest that increasing hedonic and eudaimonic behaviours may be an effective way to increase well-being and reduce psychological distress.     

Affect and alcohol use: an ecological momentary assessment study of outpatients with borderline personality disorder

Alcohol use may be viewed as an attempt (albeit maladaptive) to regulate negative emotional states. We examined associations between both negative and positive affects and alcohol use in outpatient women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD; n=74), a prototype of emotional dysregulation, as well as a psychiatric control group of women with current depressive disorder (major depressive disorder/dysthymic disorder [MDD\DYS]; n=50). Participants completed randomly prompted reports of mood and alcohol use up to six times a day over a 28-day period using electronic diaries. Mean levels of either positive or negative affects did not distinguish between drinkers and nondrinkers in either diagnostic group. However, levels of both negative and positive affects were positively associated with alcohol use at the momentary level in BPD drinkers. More robust findings were obtained with respect to within-person affective variability, which was related to alcohol use in multiple ways. BPD drinkers showed higher within-person variability for most negative affects than BPD nondrinkers; MDD\DYS drinkers in general showed less within-person variability than MDD\DYS nondrinkers for negative affects. Multilevel lagged analyses for BPD drinkers indicated that alcohol use was positively related to variability in all affects, concurrently, but fewer significant effects of affect variability on the next day's drinking or significant effects of alcohol use on the next day's affect variability were observed. Among MDD\DYS drinkers, we observed more significant associations between affect variability on next day's alcohol use and of alcohol use on next day's affect variability. We discuss theoretical and methodological issues relevant to these findings as well as implications for future research.     

The buffering effect of awe on negative affect towards lost possessions*

Abstract

Although the positive emotion of awe is of growing interest, past research has not directly examined its buffering effect in negative circumstances. As awe has been theoretically linked to experiences of vastness and spirituality, the present study proposes that awe helps individuals alleviate their negative affect, in the context of possession loss. Study 1 manipulated awe and examined participants’ responses in an imagined situation in which they lost a cherished possession. Study 2 manipulated awe and happiness and compared their effects on participants’ response to an actual loss in the form of points obtained and deducted during a laboratory task. In Study 3, daily experiences of awe, other positive emotions, and affect in response to actual loss, were measured using event sampling. In all studies, awe predicted lower negative affect towards loss of possessions. Implications of the function of awe in coping with loss and other future directions are discussed.     

Effect of affect on social cost bias in social anxiety disorder

Abstract

The cognitive model of social anxiety disorder (SAD) assumes that cognitive biases are important maintaining factors of the disorder. Research and theory have highlighted the impact of cognitive self-regulatory processes on affect, but have not sufficiently focused on the influence of affect on self-regulatory cognitions. The present study examined the influence of affect on cognitive self-regulatory mechanisms in SAD by focusing on one critical cognitive bias, estimated social cost. Individuals with SAD (N=48) and non-anxious controls (N=48) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental, affect induction conditions (negative, positive, or neutral) before giving a 10-minute impromptu, videotaped speech. As expected, the affect manipulation resulted in changes in estimated social cost. However, this effect was not specific to individuals with SAD. Participants in the positive affect condition in both groups had the highest social cost estimates post-speech challenge. These results suggest that social cost bias is dependent on the affective state in both individuals with SAD and controls.     

Gender differences in loss of psychological resources following experimentally-induced vicarious stress

Abstract

The present research focuses on gender differences in resource loss, perceived threat, and negative affective reactions induced by experimental manipulation of vicarious stress. Israeli students (54.7% women) were randomly allocated to one of two conditions: (1) Threat Condition (n=98), in which participants were exposed to a video film depicting terror attacks and (2) Control Condition (n=30), in which participants viewed a video film depicting a series of non-emotive news broadcasts. Participants also completed measures of mastery, optimism, and self-esteem. The data indicated that whereas under the Threat Condition women scored lower on psychological resources and higher on perceived threat than men, no significant gender differences were observed under the Control Condition. A path analysis revealed that gender was directly related to perceived threat and resource loss, which, in turn, were related to negative affect. In addition, a greater sense of mastery was related to lower resource loss. Overall, these experimental findings suggest that gender and mastery bear prominent effects on cognitive and emotional reactions to vicarious life threat.     

Hope and athlete burnout: Stress and affect as mediators

ObjectiveIn this study we examined the relationship between trait hope and burnout in elite junior soccer players and whether stress and positive and negative affect mediated this relationship.MethodsParticipants were 238 Swedish soccer players (166 males, 71 females; one did not indicate gender) aged 15–19 years who completed questionnaires measuring trait hope, perceived stress, positive and negative affect, and athlete burnout (i.e., emotional/physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation).ResultsBivariate correlations were consistent with hope theory contentions indicating significant negative relationships between hope and all three burnout dimensions. The relationship between hope and emotional/physical exhaustion was fully mediated by stress and positive affect. For sport devaluation and reduced sense of accomplishment, stress and positive affect partially mediated the relationship with hope. In contrast, negative affect did not mediate the relationship between hope and any of the burnout dimensions.ConclusionThe results support earlier findings that hope is negatively related to athlete burnout. Support was also found for the hypothesis that high hope individuals would experience less stress and therefore less burnout. Promoting hope may be relevant in reducing the likelihood of this detrimental syndrome.     

Longitudinal relations between psychological distress and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity: A latent change score approach

ObjectivesThe effect of physical inactivity on mental health risk is well established; however, less is known about about how psychological distress might deter participation in physical activity. Guided by advancements in the treatment of longitudinal data, the aim of this study was to examine patterns and predictors of change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and psychological distress (e.g., feeling nervous, worthless).Design methodAustralian adults (4944 females, M_age = 34.63 years ±5.34; 4322 males, M_age = 37.51 years ±6.14) provided baseline data as part of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and were followed for measurements every two years for 10 years.ResultsLatent change score analyses revealed support for a reciprocal effects model, whereby change in MVPA and psychological distress occurred as a function of individuals’ prior levels of, and/or prior change in these variables.ConclusionsThis investigation is the first to document that changes in MVPA and psychological distress are coupled temporally. Notably, we observed that individuals’ distress levels at a given time point predicted subsequent change on both MVPA and distress; a finding which provides novel and important insight into how adults’ activity levels and psychological distress fluctuate relative to one another.