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Applying test operating characteristics to measures of exercise motivation: a primer
Tracey A Brickell1, Rael T Lange, Nikos L D Chatzisarantis
1British Columbia Mental Health and Addiction Services, Vancouver, Canada. tbrickell@bccancer.bc.ca
Abstract:
Physical activity programmes that include a motivational counselling component can be effective at increasing exercise participation. Reliable screening procedures could provide a cost effective method of identifying and channelling those 'at risk' for non-participation into a motivational counselling intervention and increase participation and long-term adherence. Traditional statistical methods have played an important step in developing measures that are good predictors of future exercise behaviour. Test operating characteristics (TOCs), a set of clinical outcome statistics, could be used to evaluate the accuracy of these measures as screening tools in identifying those 'at risk' for non-participation and those 'not at risk' for use in applied settings, such as physical activity programmes. This paper will provide a primer on the use of TOCs, particularly as they apply to the evaluation of measures of exercise motivation. Also provided is an example application using eight measures of exercise motivation previously used in research.
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Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes
Introduction to Motivation and Emotion

