Exercise behaviour in an aerobics class: The impact of personality traits and efficacy cognitions

The current study attempted to predict exercise attendance in a group of 46 initially sedentary women over the course of an 8-week aerobics exercise programme. Baseline measures of personality, self-efficacy and psychological well-being were assessed prior to the inception of the exercise programme. The results of a multiple regression indicated that the personality trait extraversion and an exercise-specific measure of self-efficacy accounted for approximately 16% and 15% of the variance in exercise session attendance, respectively. Specifically, high extraversion was associated with lower attendance, while high self-efficacy was related to higher attendance. These findings are discussed in relation to implications for exercise research. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.