PEER INFLUENCE ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH DIFFERING MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES
Open Access
- Author:
- Swartzwelder, Justin C
- Graduate Program:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- February 12, 2010
- Committee Members:
- Steriani Elavsky, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Steriani Elavsky, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- social support
students
exercise
physical activity
college
motivation
peer influence - Abstract:
- The current study examined the role that peer influences play in physical activity behavior of college-aged students with differing motivational profiles, and aimed to determine whether peers impact physical activity behavior directly or indirectly through the shaping of an individual’s cognitions such as self-efficacy and outcome expectations. College-aged students (N = 817) completed an online survey on peer influence, motivation, and physical activity. Three hypotheses were tested: 1) self-efficacy and outcome expectations would mediate the effect of peer influence on physical activity, 2) based on previous research by Vlachopoulos et al. (2000), three main motivational profiles would emerge, and 3) the strength and pattern of association between peer influence and physical activity would vary across motivational profiles. A structural equation modeling analysis revealed that a direct model where peer influence, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations were all directly associated with physical activity was a better fitting solution than the proposed meditational model. The relationships among peer influence, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations also varied by motivational profile such that individuals exhibiting moderate levels of extrinsic motivation and a high level of amotivation had a stronger relationship between peer influence and physical activity. These study findings suggest that individuals exhibiting moderate levels of extrinsic motivation and high level of amotivation may be most responsive to interventions incorporating the involvement of peers for increasing physical activity as compared to individuals with more self-determined or intrinsic motivational profiles. Further research is needed to explore the dynamics of the relationship between peer influences and physical activity among college-aged students.