Abstract
As per Identity Theory, individuals reflect on their behaviour (i.e., exercise) and on the extent to which it meets their identity standards. This reflection can lead to different affective responses. The theory posits that negative affect promotes changes in exercise self-regulation and behaviour, with less emphasis on the motivational impact of positive affect (Burke & Stets, 2009). Thus, no past research using Identity Theory has examined the effects of positive affect on future self-regulatory and behavioural outcomes in the exercise domain. The current study examined whether positive affect made a contribution to these outcomes. At Time 1, 129 university students completed measures of affect, exercise intentions and strength of intentions; Time 2 measures assessed intention-behaviour consistency, self-regulatory efficacy, and changes in both exercise intentions and behaviour. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that while positive affect regarding one's exercise behaviour was positively related with strength of exercise intentions (? = .230, p = .039; ?R2 = .032) and self-regulatory efficacy for future exercise (? = .375, p = .000; ?R2 = .084), it negatively predicted Time 2 exercise participation (? = -.238, p = .055; ?R2 = .024). These preliminary findings suggest that positive affect may not be inconsequential when predicting future exercise behaviour; rather, it may be associated with a decrease in future exercise. More research is warranted.Acknowledgments: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada