An ecological momentary assessment study of affectively-charged motivational states and physical activity

The physical activity (PA) intention-behavior gap has prompted researchers to explore other explanatory factors such as affective mechanisms which might better explain PA engagement. Affectively-charged motivations (e.g., desire, dread) are thought to influence the pursuit or avoidance of future behavior. This study examined whether affectively-charged motivations for PA changed across the day and were differentially associated with PA intensity. Participants (N = 60) wore ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers and answered EMA (M = 134.7 prompts/person) about affectively-charged motivations for upcoming PA using a 0-to-100-point scale (dread-excitement) in the morning, pre-activity, at-random, and evening for 14 days. Affectively-charged motivations for PA were lower in the morning and at-random compared to pre-activity (p = .004) and evening (p < .001). On average, individuals who rated morning affectively-charged motivations for PA 10-points higher engaged in 28 additional min/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA (p = .048). These findings suggest that affectively-charged motivations occurring in the morning may have greater salience for PA.