Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent, if any, that the association between socio-ecological parameters and physical activity may be influenced by common method bias (CMB).Methods: This study took place between February and May of 2017 at a Southeastern University in the United States. A randomized controlled experiment was employed among 119 young adults.Participants were randomized into either group 1 (the group we attempted to minimize CMB)or group 2 (control group). In group 1, CMB was minimized via various procedural remedies,such as separating the measurement of predictor and criterion variables by introducing a time lag (temporal; 2 visits several days apart), creating a cover story (psychological), and approximating measures to have data collected in different media (computer-based vs. paper and pencil) and different locations to control method variance when collecting self-report measures from the same source. Socio-ecological parameters (self-efficacy; friend support; family support)and physical activity were self-reported.Results: Exercise self-efficacy was significantly associated with physical activity. This association (β = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.33-1.1; P = 0.001) was only observed in group 2 (control), but not in group 1 (experimental group) (β = 0.03; 95% CI: -0.57-0.63; P = 0.91). The difference in these coefficients (i.e., β = 0.74 vs. β = 0.03) was statistically significant (P = 0.04).Conclusion: Future research in this field, when feasible, may wish to consider employing procedural and statistical remedies to minimize CMB.
Highlights
Self-report measurement of physical activity is most commonly used in physical activity literature because it is low cost, feasible, convenient and easy for researchers to administer.[1]
They provided potential procedural remedies to consider, such as separating the measurement of predictor and criterion variables by introducing a time lag, creating a cover story, and proximally separating measures to have data collected in different media and different locations to control method variance when collecting self-report measures from the same source
The purpose of this study was to use the socio-ecological framework to evaluate the extent, if any, that the association between socio-ecological parameters and physical activity is influenced by common method bias (CMB)
Summary
Self-report measurement of physical activity is most commonly used in physical activity literature because it is low cost, feasible, convenient and easy for researchers to administer.[1]. Podsakoff and colleagues[7] identified a list of potential sources of CMB, which includes, for example, mood state and social desirability[11,12,13] of participants when completing surveys, length of surveys, and measurement context effects (i.e., predictor and criterion variables measured at the same point in time, same location, and same medium) They provided potential procedural remedies to consider, such as separating the measurement of predictor and criterion variables by introducing a time lag (temporal), creating a cover story (psychological), and proximally separating measures to have data collected in different media (computer-based vs paper and pencil) and different locations to control method variance when collecting self-report measures from the same source. Conclusion: Future research in this field, when feasible, may wish to consider employing procedural and statistical remedies to minimize CMB
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