Social physique anxiety, reasons for exercise, and attitudes toward exercise settings

Hart, Leary, and Rejeski (1989) hypothesized that social physique anxiety (SPA), self-presentational anxiety associated with the physique, may deter some people from participating in fitness programs. This contention was explored in the present investigation. Data were collected from 104 under-graduate females regarding SPA, weight satisfaction, body satisfaction, and reasons for exercise. Following each of two video presentations of aerobics classes as stimulus materials, attitudes toward the favorability of the exercise settings were assessed. One class wore attire emphasizing the physique; the other appeared in shorts and T-shirts, deemphasizing the physique. Multiple regression analyses revealed SPA was associated with favorability of attitudes toward both exercise settings. SPA was negatively associated with favorabil-ity of the setting emphasizing the physique and was positively related to favorability of the setting de-emphasizing the physique. The results indicate that self-presentational, theoretical perspectives may be useful in understand-ing exercise behavior patterns. Key words: self-presentation, aerobic dance, women Researchers interested in exercise psychology have been struggling to un-derstand the current state of affairs in exercise behavior patterns. Despite a generalized awareness in the lay population and research confirming the numerous benefits associated with physical activity and exercise (Stone, 1987), adherence to exercise programs is disturbingly low (Dishman, 1988), and only a small minority of the adult population is sufficiently active to improve physical fitnes