2013 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 8-16
The purpose of this article is to review some current topics in the research of psychology for physical activity promotion: 1) psychological mechanisms of physical activity behavioral changes through interventions, 2) roles of environmental factors in physical activity promotion, and 3) associations of motivational factors with physical activity participation. According to recent studies regarding psychological mechanisms, enhancing self-regulation (self-planning, goal-setting, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation) appears to be important in promoting physical activity during interventions. Motivational studies indicate that intrinsic motivations (e.g., enjoyment, challenge, and satisfaction) are more closely associated with physical activity participations than extrinsic motivations (e.g., recommendations and rewards from others, or perceived obligation). Environmental studies have begun to identify the interactions between environmental and personal factors in predicting physical activity, and to strengthen the evidence for the environmental influences on physical activity. Also, policy research has been conducted in order to improve the feasibility of changing environmental factors. Further studies examining effective physical activity promotion strategies optimized by personal and environmental factors, and studies confirming feasibility of disseminating psychology-based physical activity interventions are recommended.
