In order to develop effective interventions designed to encourage more
middle-aged individuals to engage in regular exercise, there is a need to
further understand the mechanisms involved in the decision to exercise.
One appropriate conceptual framework involves future-oriented self-conceptions,
or possible selves (Markus & Nurius, 1986). Possible selves, both
hoped-for and feared, have been shown to vary over the lifespan in content
and number (Cross & Markus, 1991), and to be predictive of future health
behaviors (Hooker & Kaus, 1992,1994). The role of possible selves in the
exercise context can be explored using the Stage of Change Model (Prochaska
& DiClemente, 1983), which identifies participation as a process consisting of
five identifiable stages. The purpose of this study was to examine the number
and content of possible selves generated by individuals across stages of
exercise behavior, in order to determine whether possible selves can
differentiate those stages and be predictive of exercise-related behavior.
Participants were 204 middle-aged women employed at a university in
the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Results indicated that differences in the number
and content of open-ended possible selves across stage of exercise were
relatively few, although differences that did exist held potential for future
interventions. Of particular interest was the significant finding of possible
selves related to body image, which differed by stage for both hoped-for and
feared selves. Responses to focused possible selves directly related to exercise
behavior showed a number of differences between stage of exercise, providing
support for previous literature as well as for the methodology employed in
the present study. Individuals whose self-efficacy and outcome expectancy
associated with a particular possible self related to exercise was high, were
most likely to engage in exercise behavior. Finally, when the strongest
predictor of exercise behavior was combined with exercise self-efficacy, the
variance accounted for by the possible self was negligible. Findings support
the conclusion that possible selves are worthy of future research in the
exercise domain, including the role of possible selves as an antecedent to
exercise self-efficacy. Results are discussed in terms of past research, practical
applications, and future research directions. / Graduation date: 1998
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/33778 |
| Date | 30 October 1997 |
| Creators | Whaley, Diane E. |
| Contributors | Ebbeck, Vicki |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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