Date of Award

8-1-2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication Disorders and Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology

Abstract

The question of whether perceived self-efficacy for exercise and health value, respectively, varied as a function of gender and exercise stage of change was the focus of this study. An archival data set was used. Participants were 190 college students who completed a demographic questionnaire, the Exercise Stage of Change Questionnaire, the Rokeach Values Survey, and the Self-Efficacy for Exercise questionnaire before and after completing a lifetime fitness course. Two 2-factor analyses of covariance were conducted for each dependent variable, self-efficacy and health value. Gender and exercise stage of change were the independent variables. Exercise stage of change was divided into four subcategories: contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. A pretest on each dependent variable served as the covariate. Results of the analysis indicated that health value scores were significantly different as a function of exercise stage of change. A significant main effect was found between health value and exercise stage of change. A Bryant Paulson procedure was performed to determine which of the four stages of change for exercise differed on health value scores. The analysis revealed that participants in the contemplation and preparation exercise stages of change ranked health value significantly lower than participants in the action and maintenance exercise stages of change. Implications for theory and practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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