<p> The current study investigated whether hypocrisy-induction – a burgeoning method of cognitive dissonance therapy – acts to increase physical exercise habits and reduce stress, as well as how physical exercise mediates the relationship between hypocrisy-induction and perceived stress, and whether self-esteem moderates the relationship between hypocrisy-induction and physical exercise. Using questionnaires and manipulations, this study measured participants’ (both work and non-work) stress, self-esteem, physical exercise habits, and physical exercise intentions. Fifty-four undergraduate students enrolled in Psychology 111 at a small Midwest university were randomly assigned to a control or treatment condition and surveyed on several constructs before being put through manipulations, and were then surveyed online four weeks following the experiment. Results supported some hypotheses, revealing that: as individuals exercise more, they perceive less stress; individuals who had their hypocrisy induced perceived less stress than those who hadn’t; hypocrisy-induction did not affect physical exercise habits or intentions; and those with higher self-esteem are more affected by hypocrisy-induction than those with lower self-esteem. Ultimately, these results highlight the potential efficacy and versatility for hypocrisy-induction to generalize onto improving prosocial behavior.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10125487 |
| Date | 03 August 2016 |
| Creators | Southard, Houston |
| Publisher | Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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