A measurement and conceptual investigation of exercise imagery establishing construct validity

Res Q Exerc Sport. 2010 Dec;81(4):485-93. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2010.10599710.

Abstract

We assessed the factor structure of a revised version of the Exercise Imagery Inventory (ELI; Giacobbi, Hausenblas, & Penfield, 2005), second-order interrelationships for cognitive and motivational forms of mental imagery, and associations with exercise behavior and barriers self-efficacy. A convenience sample of 358 (M age = 20.55 years, SD = 3.88) college students completed the EII-revised (EII-R), a measure of barriers self-efficacy and the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. The EII-R demonstrated reliability and factorial validity with good model fit statistics. We observed second-order relationships among scale scores and discriminant validity evidence that distinguished cognitive (e.g., exercise technique, exercise routines) and motivational (e.g., appearance/health, exercise self-efficacy, exercise feelings) factors. The second-order imagery factors were significantly and moderately associated with barriers self-efficacy and exercise behavior.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Exercise / psychology*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imagery, Psychotherapy*
  • Leisure Activities
  • Male
  • Motivation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Self Efficacy
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult