Comparing Positive versus Negative Intrinsic Rewards for Predicting Physical Activity Habit Strength and Frequency During a Period of High Stress

Lindsey Fremling, Alison Phillips, Lindsay Bottoms, Terun Desai, Katie Newby

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The experience of positive intrinsic rewards (enjoyment) from physical activity (PA) is known to promote PA habit formation and maintenance. Negative intrinsic rewards (stress reduction) may also be associated with PA habit, particularly during a major stressor and when individual-level anxiety is higher. Multi-level models tested the following hypotheses using weekly survey data from a convenience sample (snowball sampling) of adults (N = 580; 91% White, 77% Female, mean age = 41 years) over the 8 weeks of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK: negative intrinsic rewards will be independently and statistically more strongly related to PA habit strength and frequency than positive intrinsic rewards; and, the relationship between negative intrinsic rewards and PA habit strength and frequency will be stronger for those with higher anxiety. Counter to the hypotheses, positive intrinsic rewards were more strongly associated with PA habit strength over time than negative intrinsic rewards (fixed effect = 0.27, p < 0.001 versus fixed effect = -0.05, p = 0.23, respectively), and there was a main effect of anxiety (but no interaction with negative rewards) on PA habit strength (fixed effect = -0.03, p = 0.03). The findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing and maintaining PA habit strength might best focus on cultivating positive intrinsic rewards (enjoyment) from PA, even in the presence of substantial stressors and individual-level anxiety.

Original languageEnglish
Article number12650
Pages (from-to)1-15
Number of pages15
JournalApplied Psychology: Health and Well-being
Volume17
Issue number1
Early online date4 Feb 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 4 Feb 2025

Keywords

  • COVID‐19
  • habit strength
  • intrinsic rewards
  • stress reduction
  • intrinsic motivation
  • physical activity
  • Exercise/psychology
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • United Kingdom
  • COVID-19/psychology
  • Young Adult
  • Female
  • Adult
  • Reward
  • Anxiety/psychology
  • Stress, Psychological/psychology
  • Habits

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