Exercise has been shown to improve mood (Stöhle, 2009). Research has explored how exercise instructors can affect class participants' mood (Edmunds, Ntoumanis, & Duda, 2008). One style of instruction that is less understood relates to task-oriented vs. person-oriented instruction. The primary aim of this research was to explore the impact of spin-class instruction style on mood among spin-class participants. In Study 1, research assistants (RAs) evaluated the instruction of spin-class instructors and administered mood surveys to spin-class participants and instructors. Overall, positive mood improved for all spin-class participants and instructors. Instruction style did not moderate this effect. In Study 2, a refined instruction evaluation form was used to better detect person-oriented vs. task-oriented instruction. Unlike in Study 1, RAs also completed mood surveys. Overall, positive mood improved as a function of the exercise class for spin-class members and instructors, but not for RAs. Instruction style did not moderate this mood effect. Overall, the results support prior research that exercise leads to mood improvement. However, an impact of instruction style on class participants' mood was not found. One novel approach of this study was that instruction style was not manipulated. This pragmatic approach allowed the research team to explore organic instructor-student dynamics in a spin-class, which may improve the generalizability of the findings. / Master of Science / Exercise is not only beneficial for physical health, but also mental health (Penedo & John, 2005). While a lot of exercise research has focused on treating individuals with mental disorders, research has also focused on the benefits for people without mental disorders (Stöhle, 2009). While many people exercise individually, group exercise is popular. The instruction styles of instructors in group classes have been shown to affect participant outcomes, including mood. The primary aim of this research was to explore the effects of two instruction styles that could interact with the benefits of exercise: person-oriented and task-oriented instruction. Instructors using more task-oriented instruction focus on setting specific exercise goals while instructors using more person-oriented instruction focus on establishing interpersonal relationships. It was hypothesized that mood would improve even more in person-oriented classes. In Study 1, mood surveys were administered to class participants and instructors in spin-classes. Research assistants (RAs) also completed instruction evaluation forms. While mood improved for participants receiving each style of instruction, there were no enhanced benefits for participants receiving more person-oriented instruction. In Study 2, the instruction form was modified and RAs also completed mood surveys. The instruction style of the instructors did not have an additional effect on the mood of the participants or RAs. However, mood did improve overall for instructors and participants. Overall, the results support prior literature that exercise can lead to mood improvements. Although an effect of instruction style was not found, future research looking at the impact of instruction style should be pursued.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/79953 |
| Date | 05 June 2017 |
| Creators | Glasgow, Trevin Earl |
| Contributors | Psychology, Geller, E. Scott, Foti, Roseanne J., Harden, Samantha M. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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