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I Hate Sport : Uncovering and Modifying Hidden barriers to become more physically active

Lensink, Roos (2025) I Hate Sport : Uncovering and Modifying Hidden barriers to become more physically active.

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Abstract:Physical activity is essential for maintaining both physical and mental health, yet a large part of the global population remains insufficiently active. One possible explanation lies in cognitive biases. These automatic, unconscious distortions that can negatively influence decision-making and attitudes can be altered by Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM). This study aimed to investigate whether CBM can reduce negative cognitive bias toward physical activity, and whether depressive symptoms, which are often associated with lower motivation, play a role in bias levels or the intervention's effectiveness. A single-group pre–post experimental design consisting of nineteen participants completed a pre-to-post intervention using the Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT), the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the TIIM app for CBM training. Data were analysed using paired t-tests, Spearman correlations, and linear mixed-effects models to evaluate changes in implicit attitudes and potential moderation by depressive symptoms. The findings indicated that participants’ implicit attitudes toward physical activity significantly improved (p < .001) after completing the CBM training, with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = –1.19). The relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive bias against physical activity was only marginally significant (p = .068). Furthermore, depressive symptoms did not significantly influence the effectiveness of the CBM training on bias over time (interaction p = .65). This study demonstrated that the CBM training was effective in reducing negative cognitive bias toward physical activity. Although depressive symptoms showed a trend toward being associated with more negative implicit attitudes, they did not significantly influence the effectiveness of the CBM intervention.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106786
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