Social physique anxiety and exercise setting preferences among college students in a required PEFWL course

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect Social Physique Anxiety (SPA) levels have on college students' preferences for different exercise settings. Those exercise settings included exercising with people of same gender, exercising with people who were physically fit, and exercising with people of similar body shapes. In addition, the study investigated the role of gender concerning these exercise setting preferences. Furthermore, this study examined the relationship between SPA levels and students' preferences for different type of physical fitness activities and their perceived physical fitness (PPF). A sample of 375 undergraduate male and female students at Ball State University were selected using a purposeful sampling procedure. The participants were enrolled in the coeducational Physical Education Fitness/Wellness course (PEFWL) during spring 2000 semester. During a scheduled class, the participants completed a 35item questionnaire which assessed SPA levels, PPF, and other items related to exercise setting.In this study, male participants were significantly higher in PPF than female participants, whereas female participants were significantly higher in SPA than male participants. To address the five research hypotheses, logistic and multiple regression analyses were used (p<.05). Both SPA and gender were significant predictors of participants' preference for exercising with people of same gender, participants' preference for exercising with people physically fit, and participants' preference for exercising with people of same body shape. Gender significantly predicated the preference of participating in the physical activity groups of physical conditioning and swimnastics/fitness swimming. Finally, SPA was the only significant predicator (p<.001) of participants' PPF. Based on the results of this study, SPA played a critical role in college-age students' exercise setting preferences. Students' self-presentational concerns about their physiques being negatively evaluated by others may indeed influence their exercise setting preferences.School of Physical EducationThesis (M.S.