Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026
05:59
Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
7.3K
Feel lonely? Get active: Exploring the daily relationship between accelerometer-measured physical activity and
Siyuan Zhang1, Yunlong Song1, Andrew Steptoe2
1School of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; Institute of Applied Psychology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Psychology of Sport and Exercise
|March 19, 2026
Summary
Daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can reduce loneliness in young adults, especially men. Loneliness did not predict future physical activity levels in this study.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous research indicates a link between physical activity and loneliness, but the causal direction is unclear.
- Understanding the daily interplay between physical activity and loneliness is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the daily temporal relationship between physical activity and loneliness in young adults.
- To examine within-person and between-person associations between physical activity and loneliness.
Main Methods:
- 150 young adults completed daily surveys for 21 days.
- Physical activity was objectively measured using ActiGraph accelerometers.
- Loneliness was assessed daily using the UCLA Loneliness Scale and a single-item measure; data analyzed with cross-lagged multilevel models.
Main Results:
- Higher daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total energy expenditure (TEE) were associated with lower daily loneliness.
- No significant between-person effects were found for physical activity and loneliness.
- The association between MVPA and reduced loneliness was stronger in men than in women.
Conclusions:
- Engaging in MVPA may be a viable strategy for reducing daily feelings of loneliness, particularly in men.
- Loneliness does not appear to predict subsequent physical activity levels.
- Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and establish causality for targeted loneliness interventions.
Related Concept Videos
01:12Measuring Acceleration Due to Gravity
1.4K
Consider a coffee mug hanging on a hook in a pantry. If the mug gets knocked, it oscillates back and forth like a pendulum until the oscillations die out.
A simple pendulum can be described as a point mass and a string. Meanwhile, a physical pendulum is any object whose oscillations are similar to a simple pendulum, but cannot be modeled as a point mass on a string because its mass is distributed over a larger area. The behavior of a physical pendulum can be modeled using the principles of...
A simple pendulum can be described as a point mass and a string. Meanwhile, a physical pendulum is any object whose oscillations are similar to a simple pendulum, but cannot be modeled as a point mass on a string because its mass is distributed over a larger area. The behavior of a physical pendulum can be modeled using the principles of...
1.4K
01:30Social Relationships and Well-Being
415
The significance of social relationships in psychological well-being is a well-established area of inquiry within social psychology. Research consistently demonstrates that the presence of meaningful, supportive relationships enhances emotional health, while the absence or deterioration of such connections can contribute to psychological distress. Relationships serve as a foundation for emotional support, identity, and social belonging, all of which are critical to an individual’s overall...
415
01:10Relative Motion Analysis - Acceleration
1.0K
A slider-crank mechanism converts rotational motion from the crank into linear motion of the slider or vice versa. This mechanism consists of three main parts: the crank, the connecting rod, and the slider. The movement of the slider-crank is an example of general plane motion as the fluctuating angle between the crank and the connecting rod. Consider a segment AB where point A is at the end of the slider and point B is on the diametrically opposite end to point A, on a crack. The variance in...
1.0K
02:12Relationship Formation
46.3K
What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
46.3K