The mediating role of behavioural automaticity and intention on past to future bootcamp attendance

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of the current study was to test whether behavioural automaticity and intention mediated the effects of past behaviour on a particular type of vigorous physical exercise: bootcamp attendance. Methods A community sample (N = 69) who had previously attended a bootcamp class was recruited from Queensland, Australia. Participants were asked to complete measures of their previous bootcamp attendance, behavioural automaticity, and intention to attend bootcamps (Time 1). One month later (Time 2), participants were asked to report their bootcamp attendance and behavioural automaticity in the previous month. Data were fitted to a Partial Least Squares-SEM model. Results Past behaviour predicted both intention and behavioural automaticity. However, while behavioural automaticity significantly predicted prospectively measured behaviour and mediated the past-future behaviour relationship, there was no significant relationship between intention and bootcamp attendance. Past behaviour still predicted future behaviour beyond both behavioural automaticity and intention. Conclusions Current results support dual process and habit theory in that behavioural automaticity accounts for a portion of the residual effect of past behaviour on future behaviour which is not accounted for by intentional processes. The lack of significant effect by intention may also support these theories, as bootcamp classes likely occur in a stable context (e.g., at a prescribed time and in a regular location), encouraging habitual responding over considered decision-making. Key points What is already known about this topic: (1) Engaging in regular physical activity, especially vigorous intensity exercise, provides benefits to health and wellbeing. (2) Extending social cognition theories, dual-process models posit that behaviour is enacted predominately through deliberative or automatic pathways, depending on contextual and situational factors. (3) A common hypothesis in dual process and habit theory is that automaticity is likely to exhibit strong effects when the behaviour occurs in stable contexts. What this topic adds: (1) This research tests the effects of behavioural automaticity and intention on physical activity in a seldom examined yet common type of exercise, bootcamp attendance. (2) Behavioural automaticity mediated the relationship between past behaviour and future bootcamp attendance, but the intention did not predict bootcamp attendance. (3) Given the stable context of bootcamp classes (i.e., at a prescribed time and place), current findings support dual process and habit theory that behaviours more likely to be stable are more likely to be enacted automatically rather than deliberatively.