Abstract
In proxy-led exercise, interaction style (e.g., collaborative, directive) has been shown to impact participants' social cognitions. Despite the potential importance of understanding trainer and client perceptions within proxy-led exercise contexts, little work has examined (a) the perceptions exercise leaders hold of their clients relative to their own interaction styles or (b) the potential discrepancies in the perceptions trainers and clients hold of each other's abilities. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in personal trainers' (PT) perceptions of their clients' abilities as well as discrepancies in the perceptions held by PT and their clients among PT who identify as either collaborative or directive in their interaction style. After 1 training session, PT-client dyads completed measures of self-efficacy, relational efficacies, division of responsibility, and reliance. PT also reported their predominant interaction style. Collaborative PT saw their clients as less reliant, had more confidence in their client, and felt more responsibility for aspects of training (ps<.04). Also, the pattern of discrepancies in client-PT perceptions appeared to differ by interaction style (p=.06) with collaborative PT's other-efficacy in their client being higher than their clients' own self-efficacy whereas the opposite emerged for directive PTs (p<.01). Findings underscore the importance of leader interaction style when examining perceptions in proxy-led exercise.Acknowledgments: SSHRC grant 41020060927