Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of framing exercise as indicative of either social skills or health benefits on inactive lonely individuals' social cognitions and exercise behaviour. This study involved a pre-test post-test randomized groups design. Pre-test measures of social cognitions and exercise behaviour were completed online by a sample of inactive lonely (i.e., score of = 25 on the UCLA Loneliness Scale) university students (n = 59). In the lab portion of the study, participants first read the physical activity guide for university students. Next, participants read a prime that either highlighted the health benefits (HB) of exercise or suggested that regular exercise is indicative of social skills (SS). Participants then completed the same measures as at pre-test. Two-weeks later participants came in and completed measures assessing social cognitions and exercise behaviour. As hypothesized, the results indicated that when compared to participants in the HB conditions, participants in the SS condition reported significantly greater intentions to exercise (d = 0.51) and a greater sense of social belonging (d = 0.55). Non-significant trends indicated that compared to participants in the HB condition, participants in the SS condition also engaged in more exercise, reported more positive affect and less negative affect and greater confidence to engage in exercise (ds = 0.22). Results will be discussed in terms of informing health-enhancing physical activity interventions for at-risk populations.Acknowledgments: This study was funded by CIHR.