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Strong Body, Strong Mind: Self-Efficacy as a Function of Exercise
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by Mary Beth Miller - Westminster College
Categories: Stress | Health | Physiological
This study examined how exercise affected the general self-efficacy of college students. Eighteen nonathlete undergraduates, 7 men and 11 women, between 18 and 22 years of age exercised for 2 weeks and then did not exercise for 2 weeks. Congruent with previous research, exercise significantly decreased stress levels and increased exercising self-efficacy of participants in comparison to their baseline scores. Overall, general self-efficacy scores significantly increased with exercise, the effect being significantly more pronounced in nonhabitual than in habitual exercisers. In contrast to past research, initial amount of stress did not significantly affect gains in either exercising or general of self-efficacy. Collectively, the results suggest that exercising can build people’s beliefs in their abilities.
Summer 2010 | Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research (Vol. 15, No. 2, p. 91), published by Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology (Chattanooga, TN). Copyright, 2010, Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology. All rights reserved.