Tripartite efficacy and behavior of clients working with a personal trainer

Abstract

Personal trainers are a common social agent in the exercise workforce. However, little is known about their impact on the psychosocial or behavioral outcomes of their clients. This two-study project used the tripartite efficacy framework to elucidate the client outcomes of working with a personal trainer. The first study examined the multivariate relationship of clients’ tripartite efficacy beliefs with their perceptions of their interpersonal relationship with their trainer. Overall, there was a strong positive multivariate relationship between the tripartite efficacy beliefs and perceptions of interpersonal closeness, complementarity, and commitment. The second study examined client tripartite efficacy beliefs as predictors of their self-reported behavioral outcomes of in-session effort and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Path analysis showed relation-inferred self-efficacy and other-efficacy to be significant and strong positive predictors of self-efficacy. Other-efficacy and self-efficacy were significant positive predictors of in-session effort. These findings highlight that personal trainers can influence the amount of effort clients put forth when the client is confident in the trainer’s ability. Lay summary: We examined clients’ relationships to their personal trainer and exercise behaviors. When clients felt confident in the relationship with their trainer, they felt closer and more connected to their trainer. Relationship confidence beliefs also influenced how hard clients worked during sessions with their trainer. Implications for practice Personal trainers should model behaviors that increase clients’ confidence in the personal trainer–client working relationship. When the client is confident in their trainer, the client reports working harder during sessions. Clients’ self-confidence beliefs are influenced by their perceptions of how the personal trainer feels about their ability during sessions.