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Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...
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Exercise self-identity: interactions with social comparison and exercise behaviour.

Kirsten T Verkooijen1, Gert-Jan de Bruijn

  • 1Health and Society Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Kirsten.verkooijen@wur.nl

Psychology, Health & Medicine
|January 18, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Exercise self-identity partially mediates the link between social comparison and exercise behavior in women. For men, social comparison moderates the exercise behavior-self-identity link, especially when peers are perceived as exercising more.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Science
  • Psychology
  • Exercise Science

Background:

  • Understanding the interplay between psychological factors and physical activity is crucial for promoting exercise.
  • Exercise self-identity and social comparison are recognized as potential influences on exercise behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mediating role of exercise self-identity in the relationship between social comparison and exercise behavior.
  • To examine the moderating role of social comparison in the association between exercise behavior and exercise self-identity.

Main Methods:

  • Survey data collected from 417 undergraduate students (73% female, mean age 21.5 years).
  • Two models tested: mediation (social comparison -> exercise self-identity -> exercise behavior) and moderation (exercise behavior * social comparison -> exercise self-identity).

Main Results:

  • Exercise self-identity partially mediated the relationship between social comparison and exercise behavior in female students.
  • Social comparison significantly moderated the association between exercise behavior and exercise self-identity in male students.
  • This moderation effect in males was significant only when students perceived themselves as exercising equally or less than their peers.

Conclusions:

  • Exercise self-identity plays a significant role in how social comparison influences exercise behavior, particularly in women.
  • For men, the relationship between exercise behavior and self-identity is contingent on social comparison, especially in perceived disadvantageous situations.
  • Findings offer insights for tailored exercise promotion strategies considering gender-specific psychological dynamics.