Exercise Psychology: XNB175 Assessment 1 - Exercise Adherence Report

This report analyzes the article "Promoting Exercise Adherence Through Groups: A Self-Categorization Theory Perspective" by Beauchamp (2019). The report provides an overview of the article, focusing on the importance of physical exercise and how group activities can enhance adherence. It explores the self-categorization theory, which explains how social identities within exercise groups can foster a sense of belonging and encourage participation. The report highlights the article's significance in addressing the global challenge of sedentary lifestyles and the associated health risks. It also discusses the author's personal interest in the topic, drawing on experiences in a fitness studio. The report then argues for the article's importance by comparing it to other research and emphasizing its focus on social identity, which is crucial for improving physical and psychological well-being. The report concludes by highlighting the practical implications of the article's findings in promoting exercise adherence among diverse populations. The report is an assessment for an exercise psychology course.

Assessment Item 1. PROMOTING EXERCISE ADHERENCE: A SYNOPSIS
Article citation:
Beauchamp, M. R. (2019). Promoting Exercise Adherence Through Groups: A
Self-Categorization Theory Perspective. Exercise and sport sciences reviews,
47(1), 54-61. doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000177.
Article overview 338 words
The article “Promoting exercise adherence through groups- a self
-categorisation theory perspective” discusses about the
importance of physical exercise for people in fighting ailments and
how group activities can help in exercise adherence among
physical exercise enthusiasts (Beauchamp, 2019). The article
speaks about negligence of people across the globe in meeting
the international standards of engaging in physical exercises.
However, there are certain social and socio-economic barriers
that prevent people from performing regular physical exercise as
mentioned in the article. The respective article focuses on the
capacities of certain social groups that helps in building a social
identity and how such social identities can be implemented in
creating activities of health improvement among such social
groups. The paper focuses on the mechanism behind
development of social identities in exercise groups and
mechanism behind shared collective identity that enhances
exercise adherence among individuals. The methods used for
figuring out the findings of the article were approach to social

identity and self-categorisation theory (which provides an
individual with a collective identical approach in a group for social
cohesion). The findings were searched out through an
amalgamation of personal identity and social identity approach. In
case of personal identity approach, factors that determined the
personal development of an individual in a social group was taken
whereas in social identity approach, factors that determined the
given social identity, its norms and definition was taken. Through
observational and experimental evidences, it was found out that
there is a potential utility associated with inter-group and
intragroup similarities of attributes and identities that can enhance
exercise adherence among the members. It also finds out that in
case of group based exercise programmes, gender does not play
a paramount role in case of older adults, while age categorisation
does, which leads to increase in exercise adherence among
people.
Interest 421words
The most intriguing and significant feature of the article
“Promoting exercise adherence through groups” is that the paper
discusses and presents a concept-based model with the help of
self-categorisation theory that clearly demonstrates and explains
how varied and standardised social identities in group-based

physical exercise programmes contexts can be utilised in
comprehending the mechanisms of exercise adherence. The
article aims in formulating plans, policies and programmes to
promote exercise adherence among various socially identical
groups as sedentary lifestyle all over the world has turned out to
be a storehouse of various life-threatening diseases and ailments.
Although there has been a subsequent amount of research in the
field of social psychology, research in case of adherence of
physical activities in communities and social groups have been a
recent activity and few solemn researches have been conducted
in this field regarding social psychology. The mentioned article is
unique enough as it introspects the topic of exercise adherence
among various exercise groups in the context of social
psychology. The article provides various remarkable insights of
social dynamics in terms of personal and group identity or shared
identity. The article focuses on unique concepts of self-
categorisation theory. It states that how persons from different
ethnicity, gender and race find in themselves, “a sense of
belonging” in a particular group that possess his/her similar
attributes which in turn, helps them adhere to various physical
exercise programmes of those groups for a reasonable time
period. The article depicts how social identity of an individual in

various social exercise groups (with similar characteristics) leads
to psychological attachment of that individual towards the group
which leads to group affiliation leading to exercise adherence and
contentment. According to personal relevance, I found out the
article to be helpful. Since I have been professionally attached to
a fitness studio for a few years, I have experienced non-
adherence behaviour among the aged population in case of
physical exercise, especially women. Since the fitness studio
where I was employed did not segregate the members according
to their gender, age, race and ethnicity, the members did not find
the exercise classes to be effective enough as they could not
relate themselves with the other members or peers. The result
was lack of adherence to physical exercise programmes.
However, the article provides a solution to such customary
problems and I found the solutions to be quite effective and
relevant in the present scenario.
Argument 336 words
The article “Promoting exercise adherence through groups: A self-
categorisation theory perspective” is indeed an article of
importance and significance as it focuses on the exercise
adherence strategies and mechanisms among various
homogenous as well as heterogeneous population. While the

article “Social cognitive predicators of Physical exercise
adherence: Three longitudinal studies in rehabilitation”
(Schwarzer et al., 2008) studies the impact of “self-efficacy and
action planning” in keeping exercise adherence, the article
“Promoting exercise adherence through groups: A self-
categorisation theory perspective” studies intensely about
concepts of self-categorisation approach in exercise adherence in
socially similar groups. The article (Schwarzer et al, 2008) has
utilised “self potency” approach whereas the article (Beauchamp,
2019) has used “self-categorization with homogeneity of a
particular group” in finding out ways of exercise adherence.
Compared to the given article (Schwarzer et al., 2008), the article
(Beauchamp, 2019) focuses intensely on self-categorization via
social identity, and not individual identity, however, bringing
identical results. There has been researches conducted for
eradication of diseases caused by sedentarism. However, even
though being aware of myriads of benefits of physical exercise, a
substantial magnitude of population do not stick to the exercise
programmes they enrol in or discontinue them (González &
Meléndez, 2013). To understand the reasons behind their
discontinuation and attempts to reduce such activities, the
respective article (Beauchamp, M. R. (2019) focuses on

understanding and promoting exercise adherence mechanism
among various socially-identical exercise groups in order to keep
the population of the globe physically active and mentally alert.
The respective article is (Beauchamp, M. R. (2019) definitely
important as it indirectly focuses on the physical as well as
psychological well-being of the global population. It helps in
keeping people encouraged and motivated towards pursuing
physical exercise and helping them come out of their sedentary
lifestyles which has affected the global population obnoxiously in
the sectors of physical, mental and psychological health.
References:
González-Gross, M., & Meléndez, A. (2013). Sedentarism, active lifestyle and sport:
Impact on health and obesity prevention. Nutrición Hospitalaria, 28(5).
Schwarzer, R., Luszczynska, A., Ziegelmann, J. P., Scholz, U., & Lippke, S. (2008).
Social-cognitive predictors of physical exercise adherence: three longitudinal
studies in rehabilitation (Vol. 27, No. 1S, p. S54). American Psychological
Association.