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Updated: Sep 2, 2025
Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Realistic effort action plans (REAP) for exercise among underactive and inactive university students: A randomized
1Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
None:
Objective: The efficacy of effort appraisal exercise action plans was tested among underactive and inactive university students (N = 221). Methods: Students were randomized across three conditions (information, action planning, or realistic effort action planning (REAP)) and participated in psychoeducational small-group sessions. Students returned after a three-week pedometer tracking period and at two and six months to assess self-reported exercise. Results: Greater three-week step averages were observed for the action planning and REAP conditions compared to the information condition. The information condition showed small-sized exercise increases at two and six months (d = .26, d = .35, ps < .05); the action planning condition showed a small-sized increase at six months (d = . 36, p < 05); and the REAP condition showed medium-sized increases at two and six months (d = .40, d = . 46, ps < .05). Conclusions: The findings provide initial evidence showing exercise action plans for college students might be improved with explicit appraisals of prior effort and persistence.
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