Self-efficacy and Intrinsic Motivation in Exercising Older Adults

The present study examined the relationships between perceptions of personal capabilities and intrinsic interest for exercise participation. In the context of formerly sedentary middle-aged adults enrolled in a program of aerobic exercise, the role played by multidimensional intrinsic interest for exercise in the generation of self-efficacy when statistically controlling for initial efficacy, physiological status, and previous exercise behavior was determined. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the dimensions of perceived competence and effort contributed significant unique variance to subsequent self-efficacy. The results are discussed in terms of how sources of efficacy enhancing information might be manipulated in the exercise environment to best facilitate perceptions of personal capabilities for exercise in older males and females.