Overview

In this course, you will explore a range of topics such as social cognitive models of exercise behaviour; the role of autonomy in exercise promotion; affective responses to exercise; exercise affect and exercise adherence; implicit social cognition; fitness and cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Besides appreciating the relevant research, this course is also focused on the applications of exercise psychology in the real world. To achieve this, students will gain first-hand experience in laboratory sessions on how to apply exercise psychology in an exercise setting. Further, assessment in this course will be based fully on the experiences in the laboratory sessions so that learning outcomes relevant to the real-life applications of exercise psychology.

Module failure that prevents you passing the year will require resit assessment and attendance at Supplementary Assessment Week (exact date TBC).

Learning Outcomes

• Be able to critically assess the limitations of social cognitive models of exercise behaviour.

• Be able to generate questionnaire items to empirically examine the relationships between beliefs and expectancies about exercise and the adoption or maintenance of exercise behaviour.

• Demonstrate an ability to collect and interpret lab-based exercise psychology data.

• Demonstrate an ability to conduct a data collection, manage data in SPSS, interpret the data and write a brief research paper.

• Understand the differences between the principle constructs in social-cognitive models.