Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if guided imagery interventions could be used to enhance task, coping, and scheduling self-efficacy (SE) for exercise among a sample of female exercise initiates (N=232). Participants attended three guided imagery sessions administered by the researchers before beginning a 12-week cardiovascular exercise program. Control participants attended nutritional information sessions in place of the imagery intervention. The Multidimensional Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (Rodgers, Wilson, Hall, Fraser, & Murray, 2008) was used to assess task, coping, and scheduling self-efficacy for exercise. The effectiveness of the various imagery interventions for influencing the three types of self-efficacy over time were assessed with two doubly multivariate ANOVAs: the first from baseline to 6 weeks and the second from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. The first analysis demonstrated that in response to the different imagery interventions, the three types of SE were differentially influenced over time. The results of analysis two were non-significant suggesting that the main changes in SE occurred in the first six weeks of the intervention. It was concluded that task, coping, and scheduling SE for exercise are independent from one another and that mental imagery interventions can be used to influence exercise-related cognitions.Acknowledgments: Acknowledge the SSHRC for supporting this research