Deck 8: Self-Perceptions and Exercise

Question 1

You have been hired as a life coach to help your client improve his self-esteem. In order to do this, you want to show your client that how he defines himself is reflected in how he feels about himself.
a. Diagram and discuss Shavelson et al.'s (1976) self-concept model with your client. Remember to tell him which domains/subdomains are specific/unstable versus more global/general.
b. Define self-concept and self-esteem in your own words. Explain to your client how his self-concept relates to his self-esteem.
c. Using the self-concept model, along with what you know about the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model, explain to your client how participating in physical activity may enhance his general self-concept and global self-esteem.

Answer 1

No Answer.

Question 2

Compare and contrast self-esteem, self-concept, and body image. Indicate how these concepts relate to one another. Provide examples of each concept.

Answer 2

No Answer.

Question 3

Identify and define each of the four dimensions of body image. Give an example of how each dimension can be measured.

Answer 3

No Answer.

Question 4

Which plays a greater role in improving self-esteem-objective or subjective physical fitness gains? Why?

Question 5

As a fitness professional, you see that your client has made objective gains in her muscular strength and endurance. Considering Sonstroem & Morgan's (1989) Exercise and Self-Esteem Model, why do you believe that this change in fitness may lead to a change in your client's physical self-concept, body image, and global self-esteem? What might happen if her physical self-concept and body image do not improve to the same extent?

Question 6

A local fitness center wants to enhance members' self-perceptions.
a. What two practical recommendations would you provide if the center wanted to enhance members' self-concept and self-esteem?
b. What three practical recommendations would you provide if the center wanted to improve members' body image?

Question 7

Provide an exercise prescription that may maximize the effects of exercise on body image. Be sure to include recommendations for frequency, intensity, type, and time.

Question 8

What is meant by the statement, "Body image can have both motivating and demotivating effects on exercise behavior"?

Question 9

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) Physical self-perceptions include both body image and physical self-concept
B) Physical activity likely impacts physical self-concept to a greater degree than emotional self-concept
C) Self-esteem is situation specific, whereas self-efficacy is generalized across tasks
D) None of the above

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of physical self-concept in the Shavelson et al. model?

A) Emotional states
B) Physical appearance
C) Physical ability
D) None of the above

Question 11

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the Shavelson et al. model?

A) It is hierarchically organized.
B) It is composed of two primary self-concept categories.
C) It is underpinned by situation-specific (unstable) self-evaluations.
D) All of the above

Question 12

Which of the following is TRUE about physical self-perceptions?

A) They can be assessed by measures that tap into body image only.
B) They can be assessed by measures that tap into physical self-concept only.
C) They cannot be altered through exercise interventions.
D) Of all the domains of self-concept, physical self-perceptions are of primary interest to exercise psychologists.

Question 13

Drawing the outline of your body shape on the chalk board is a measure of the _________ dimension of body image. The type of clothing a person wears to the gym is an indication of the __________ dimension of body image.

A) perceptive, affective
B) cognitive, behavioral
C) perceptual, behavioral
D) affective, perceptual

Question 14

Which of the following indicates that an individual may have body image disturbance?

A) Poor global self-esteem
B) Body reality is less favorable than body ideal
C) Perceptual measures indicate perceived and actual body part width are about the same
D) High scores on Appearance Evaluation scale of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ)

Question 15

Which of the following is necessary for the purpose of enhancing self-esteem?

A) Actual (objective) success
B) Perceived (subjective) success
C) Others' perceptions of your success
D) All of the above

Question 16

Which of the following is a mechanism of change for self-esteem?

A) Changes in physical performance or fitness.
B) Increases in physical self-efficacy.
C) Improvements in body image.
D) All of the above

Question 17

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ)?

A) It contains 90 items divided into 7 subscales
B) Higher scores indicate a more positive physical self-concept
C) Subscales include health, physical activity, endurance, and body image
D) All of the above

Question 18

Spence and colleagues' (2005) meta-analysis examining the effect of exercise interventions on global self-perceptions (self-esteem and self-concept) found which of the following?

A) Self-perceptions improved to the same extent regardless of how often, how hard, or how long participants exercised.
B) A medium-sized, but significant effect of exercise for improving self-perceptions was shown.
C) Resistance training is the ideal mode of exercise for increasing self-perceptions.
D) Improvements in physical fitness are not required in order to improve self-perceptions.

Question 19

With respect to exercise and its effects on body image, which of the following is TRUE?

A) Exercise done at a mild intensity is just as effective as moderate-vigorous intensity exercise.
B) The effect of exercise on body image is largest among participants of university age.
C) Compared to bouts of shorter duration, longer duration exercise bouts are more effective at improving body image.
D) More exercise sessions per week lead to larger improvements in body image than fewer exercise sessions per week.

Question 20

Self-perceptions can affect exercise behavior. For example, research has shown which of the following?

A) Global self-esteem consistently emerges as a predictor of physical activity and should be targeted in exercise-enhancing interventions.
B) Physical self-concept is reciprocally linked to physical activity participation and should be targeted in exercise-enhancing interventions.
C) Body image dissatisfaction is a primary motive among men and women who continue with their exercise program.
D) Women with high social physique anxiety prefer instructors who place emphasis on the appearance-, rather than health-, related benefits of exercise.

Question 21

Which of the following is a suggestion to ensure that physical activity will lead to improvements in self-concept/self-esteem?

A) Provide opportunities for exercisers to obtain feedback on their progress with regard to physical fitness and/or performance changes.
B) Conduct baseline health and fitness assessments, and repeat every few weeks.
C) Prompt new exercisers to consider personally meaningful reasons for being fit and healthy.
D) All of the above