PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Evana Hsiao

MA-Research
May 1997

Mood Improvement as the Motivation to Exercise Varying with Exercise Experience

    The current investigation examined the degree to which experience with exercise was associated with differences in perceptions about the motivation for exercise.  The importance of mood control as a reason for exercise was hypothesized to be positively correlated with exercise experience.  Exercisers (N = 172) with varying levels of exercise experience (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) completed the Reasons for Exercise Inventory (REI) and measures of neuroticism and extraversion.
    A re-examination of the REI factor structure yielded a more appropriate five-factor structure instead of the original seven-factor structure.  Advanced exercisers rated the importance of Mood Improvement and Socialization factors higher than did beginning and intermediate exercisers.  Gender, age, extraversion and neuroticism appeared to have an impact on reasons to exercise.  Implications were discussed for (a) designing more effective exercise promotion strategies and (b) understanding the role of exercise in the etiology and maintenance of eating disorders.

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