Action Planning Makes Physical Activity More Automatic, Only If it Is Autonomously Regulated
A Moderated Mediation Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.152Keywords:
intention-action gap, self-regulation, motivation, automaticity, accelerometerAbstract
Objectives. To examine whether automaticity mediated the association between action planning and physical activity and whether autonomous motivation moderated this mediation.
Methods and measures. Physical activity was measured by accelerometry during seven days among 124 adults. Action planning, automaticity and autonomous motivation were assessed by questionnaires.
Results. Automaticity mediated the association between action planning and physical activity (c path, b = .30, standard error [SE] = .09, p < .001) – action planning was associated with automaticity (a path, b = .48, SE = .08, p < .001), which in turn related to physical activity (b path, b = .31, SE = .10, p < .001). Autonomous motivation moderated the a path of this mediation (b = .22, SE = .10, p = .029) – action planning was associated with automaticity when autonomous motivation was high (+1 standard-deviation [SD]) (b = .49, SE = .11, p < .001), but not when it was low (-1 SD) (b = .05, SE = .15, p = .720).
Conclusion. These findings, not only support that action planning favors an automatic regulation of physical activity, but also highlight a boundary condition under which this mechanism operates: holding a high autonomous motivation toward physical activity.
Metrics
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