Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active
Using computerized reaction-time tasks assessing automatic attitudes, studies have shown that healthy young adults have faster reaction times when approaching physical activity stimuli than when avoiding them. The opposite has been observed for sedentary stimuli. However, it is unclear whether these...
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Peer Community In
2023-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10.24072/pcjournal.246/ |
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| author | Farajzadeh, Ata Goubran, Miriam Beehler, Alexa Cherkaoui, Noura Morrison, Paula de Chanaleilles, Margaux Maltagliati, Silvio Cheval, Boris Miller, Matthew W. Sheehy, Lisa Bilodeau, Martin Orsholits, Dan Boisgontier, Matthieu P. |
| author_facet | Farajzadeh, Ata Goubran, Miriam Beehler, Alexa Cherkaoui, Noura Morrison, Paula de Chanaleilles, Margaux Maltagliati, Silvio Cheval, Boris Miller, Matthew W. Sheehy, Lisa Bilodeau, Martin Orsholits, Dan Boisgontier, Matthieu P. |
| author_sort | Farajzadeh, Ata |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Using computerized reaction-time tasks assessing automatic attitudes, studies have shown that healthy young adults have faster reaction times when approaching physical activity stimuli than when avoiding them. The opposite has been observed for sedentary stimuli. However, it is unclear whether these results hold across the lifespan and when error rates and a possible generic approach-avoidance tendency are accounted for. Here, reaction times and errors in online approach-avoidance tasks of 130 participants aged 21 to 77 years were analyzed using mixed-effects models. Automatic approach-avoidance tendencies were tested using physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli. Explicit attitudes toward physical activity and intention to be physically active were self-reported. Results accounting for age, sex, gender, level of physical activity, body mass index, and chronic health condition confirmed a main tendency to approach physical activity stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to approach vs. avoid; p = .001) and to avoid sedentary stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to avoid vs. approach; p < .001). Results based on neutral stimuli revealed a generic approach tendency in early adulthood (i.e., faster approach before age 53 and fewer errors before age 36) and a generic avoidance tendency in older adults (i.e., more errors after age 60). When accounting for these generic tendencies, results showed a greater tendency (i.e., fewer errors) to avoid than approach sedentary stimuli after aged 50, but not before (p = .026). Exploratory analyses showed that irrespective of age, participants were faster at approaching physical activity (p = .028) and avoiding sedentary stimuli (p = .041) when they considered physical activity as pleasant and enjoyable (explicit attitude). However, results showed no evidence of an association between approach-avoidance tendencies and the intention to be physically active. Taken together, these results suggest that both age and explicit attitudes can affect the general tendency to approach physical activity stimuli and to avoid sedentary stimuli.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:23:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-39e851323bce448788e034ab5dcd502b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2804-3871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:23:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-39e851323bce448788e034ab5dcd502b2023-11-22T14:22:10ZengPeer Community InPeer Community Journal2804-38712023-02-01310.24072/pcjournal.24610.24072/pcjournal.246Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be activeFarajzadeh, Ata0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3487-557XGoubran, Miriam1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1251-3180Beehler, Alexa2Cherkaoui, Noura3Morrison, Paula4de Chanaleilles, Margaux5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6436-0668Maltagliati, Silvio6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7199-0599Cheval, Boris7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6236-4673Miller, Matthew W.8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7896-7217Sheehy, Lisa9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5844-0952Bilodeau, Martin10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8464-8837Orsholits, Dan11https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4131-4148Boisgontier, Matthieu P.12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9376-3071School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, CanadaSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, CanadaSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, CanadaSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, CanadaSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, CanadaLaboratory Sport and Social Environment (SENS), Université Grenoble Alpes, FranceLaboratory Sport and Social Environment (SENS), Université Grenoble Alpes, FranceSwiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Laboratory for the Study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression (E3Lab), Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, SwitzerlandSchool of Kinesiology, Auburn University, USA; Center for Neuroscience, Auburn University, USABruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, CanadaSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, CanadaCentre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES—Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Lausanne and Geneva, SwitzerlandSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, CanadaUsing computerized reaction-time tasks assessing automatic attitudes, studies have shown that healthy young adults have faster reaction times when approaching physical activity stimuli than when avoiding them. The opposite has been observed for sedentary stimuli. However, it is unclear whether these results hold across the lifespan and when error rates and a possible generic approach-avoidance tendency are accounted for. Here, reaction times and errors in online approach-avoidance tasks of 130 participants aged 21 to 77 years were analyzed using mixed-effects models. Automatic approach-avoidance tendencies were tested using physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli. Explicit attitudes toward physical activity and intention to be physically active were self-reported. Results accounting for age, sex, gender, level of physical activity, body mass index, and chronic health condition confirmed a main tendency to approach physical activity stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to approach vs. avoid; p = .001) and to avoid sedentary stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to avoid vs. approach; p < .001). Results based on neutral stimuli revealed a generic approach tendency in early adulthood (i.e., faster approach before age 53 and fewer errors before age 36) and a generic avoidance tendency in older adults (i.e., more errors after age 60). When accounting for these generic tendencies, results showed a greater tendency (i.e., fewer errors) to avoid than approach sedentary stimuli after aged 50, but not before (p = .026). Exploratory analyses showed that irrespective of age, participants were faster at approaching physical activity (p = .028) and avoiding sedentary stimuli (p = .041) when they considered physical activity as pleasant and enjoyable (explicit attitude). However, results showed no evidence of an association between approach-avoidance tendencies and the intention to be physically active. Taken together, these results suggest that both age and explicit attitudes can affect the general tendency to approach physical activity stimuli and to avoid sedentary stimuli. https://peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10.24072/pcjournal.246/AgingAttitudeExerciseGeriatricsHealthHumansIntentionMotor ControlPersonalityReaction TimeSedentary Behavior |
| spellingShingle | Farajzadeh, Ata Goubran, Miriam Beehler, Alexa Cherkaoui, Noura Morrison, Paula de Chanaleilles, Margaux Maltagliati, Silvio Cheval, Boris Miller, Matthew W. Sheehy, Lisa Bilodeau, Martin Orsholits, Dan Boisgontier, Matthieu P. Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active Peer Community Journal Aging Attitude Exercise Geriatrics Health Humans Intention Motor Control Personality Reaction Time Sedentary Behavior |
| title | Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active |
| title_full | Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active |
| title_fullStr | Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active |
| title_full_unstemmed | Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active |
| title_short | Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active |
| title_sort | automatic approach avoidance tendency toward physical activity sedentary and neutral stimuli as a function of age explicit affective attitude and intention to be active |
| topic | Aging Attitude Exercise Geriatrics Health Humans Intention Motor Control Personality Reaction Time Sedentary Behavior |
| url | https://peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10.24072/pcjournal.246/ |
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