Comparative Analysis Between Physical Activity Affect and Discrete Emotions in College Students

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate empirical distinctness and overlap between physical activity (PA) affect and emotions as well as potential unique relationships with PA beliefs and behaviors. Specifically, researchers wanted to explore the level of shared variance amongst discrete emotions and affect, which in effect tested the jingle-jangle fallacy that can be present in psychometric evaluation of related constructs. Participants: College students (N=519; Mage= 20.47) enrolled in PA courses at two universities in the Southeastern United States completed questionnaires concerning their PA related emotions, affect, self-efficacy, and self-reported PA. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis and structural modeling were used to evaluate factor structure and hypothesized relationships. Results: Sound factor analysis was identified with affect related to several emotions, including strong correlations between enjoyment and positive affect, suggesting some construct and measurement intersection. Regression results showed emotions produced stronger relationships with self-efficacy and PA compared to affect. Conclusions: While conceptual overlap did exist, measuring several discrete emotions over the dichotomous affective measure may be more insightful and provide specificity in explaining PA decisions. More research is needed on the use of PA emotions.