Positive affect and physical activity: Testing effects on goal setting, activation, prioritisation, and attainment

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Understanding factors that promote physical activity is crucial for public health.
• Incidental positive affect, such as experiencing joy or hope, may influence health behaviors.
• Previous research has not fully explored the impact of positive affect on the multifaceted process of physical activity goal pursuit.

Purpose of the Study:

• This research investigated whether incidental positive affect influences the pursuit of physical activity goals.
• The study examined four key aspects of goal pursuit: goal setting, activation, prioritization, and attainment.
• Specific positive emotions, joy and hope, were compared against a neutral affect control condition.

Main Methods:

• Three studies were conducted with participants randomized to either a positive affect (joy, hope) or neutral affect condition.
• Study 1 assessed goal setting using questionnaires on goal level, commitment, and means selection.
• Studies 2 and 3 employed a lexical decision task for goal activation and a choice task for goal prioritization, with Study 3 also quantifying goal attainment through MET minutes.

Main Results:

• Positive affect significantly increased the number of intended physical activities and willingness to try new activities (Study 1).
• A positive affect induction heightened the activation of physical activity goals compared to the control group (Study 2).
• Joy induction led to greater physical activity and a trend towards increased goal prioritization (Study 3).

Conclusions:

• Incidental positive affect enhances multiple stages of physical activity goal pursuit.
• These findings have implications for health behavior theories, suggesting positive emotions can be leveraged.
• Interventions aimed at increasing physical activity could benefit from incorporating strategies to foster positive affect.