Feeling states during exercise: Influence of individual differences in perceived evaluative threat

Abstract

The present study is designed to examine the influence of individual differences in perceived evaluative threat and baseline responses on changes in feeling states experienced during acute exercise in college-age women with high social physique anxiety. Thirty women with high social physique anxiety completed acute bouts of stationary cycling at either a self-selected or imposed intensity in both naturalistic fitness centre and laboratory environments. Multivariate analysis of changes in feeling states during exercise yielded a significant baseline×perceived evaluative threat×intensity interaction during exercise in the naturalistic fitness centre environment. Decomposition of this interaction revealed that, within the naturalistic environment, women with the least favourable baseline feeling states who perceived the lowest amount of evaluative threat during exercise demonstrated the greatest improvements in affect during self-selected intensity exercise. These findings suggest that, among women with high social physique anxiety, changes in feeling states reported during exercise are influenced by an interaction between baseline affective responses, the intensity of exercise, and environmentally induced perceptions of evaluative threat.