Fabienne d’Arripe-Longueville

Peer-assisted learning in the physical activity domain: dyad type and gender differences.

The purposes of this study were to qualitatively analyze peer interaction in dyads practicing a swimming skill, and to examine the potential dyad type-by-gender differences in observed peer interaction modes. Sixty-four senior high school students (32 M, 32 F) trained for 8 min either in symmetrical (same competence) or asymmetrical (different competence levels) same-sex dyads. The numbers of attempts and performance scores were also documented for novices. The observed peer interaction modes consisted of guidance-tutoring, imitation, cooperation, and parallel activity. Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed that tutoring and imitation were manifested more in asymmetrical dyads, while cooperation and parallel activity were more frequent in symmetrical dyads. Males in symmetrical dyads displayed the most parallel activity. Males carried out more attempts than females. Regarding performance, males in asymmetrical dyads benefited more from training than the other groups did. Similarities and differences with findings observed in the academic domain are discussed.

Understanding narrative effects in physical activity promotion: the influence of breast cancer survivor testimony on exercise beliefs, self-efficacy, and intention in breast cancer patients

PurposeResearch in health communication has shown that narratives contribute more positively to changing health behaviors than informational messages. The main purposes of this study were to examine and to compare the effects of two messages promoting physical activity, one narrative and the other informational, on the perceptions and behavioral intentions of cancer patients.MethodsA total of 158 women with breast cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and sedentary, were assigned to read the testimony of a breast cancer survivor who had been physically active during and after treatment (TE group), a content-equivalent message composed of expert recommendations about physical activity in breast cancer patients (RE group), or no message (control group).ResultsSource trust was higher in TE group than RE group (p < 0.001). Exercise self-efficacy and exercise intention were higher in TE group than RE and control groups (p < 0.001). However, scores in RE group were higher than those of TE group for beliefs about exercise benefits (p < 0.001) and lower than those of TE and control groups for beliefs about exercise risks (p < 0.001). Source trust, exercise self-efficacy, and beliefs about exercise benefits and risks mediated the relationship between the message and exercise intention.ConclusionsThe results suggest that narratives may be more effective in improving perceived physical abilities and involvement in physical activity, whereas informational messages seem to be more appropriate to convey the benefits and the absence of risks related to physical activity.

An Ego Depletion Account of Aging Stereotypes’ Effects on Health-Related Variables

OBJECTIVES This study examined whether stereotypes may predict health outcomes independently from their internalization into the self. Specifically, we tested whether endorsement of negative age stereotypes in the physical activity (PA) domain is related to decreased subjective vitality among active older adults, illustrating ego depletion. METHOD This longitudinal study included 192 retired individuals aged 60-92 years who regularly participated in organized PA, and who completed the measures on three occasions (9-month period). RESULTS Multilevel growth models tested whether within-person variation in age stereotypes endorsement across waves predicted subjective vitality, after controlling for self-perceptions of aging and relevant covariates. Results showed that (a) within-person increases in endorsement of age stereotypes of self-efficacy (b = 0.17, p < .01) were associated with increases in subjective vitality, (b) between-person mean difference in endorsement of age stereotypes of PA benefits (b = 0.21, p < .05) positively predicted subjective vitality, and (c) subjective vitality mediated the relationship between endorsement of self-efficacy stereotype and self-rated health. DISCUSSION This study confirmed that endorsement of age stereotypes of PA predicted subjective vitality among active older adults. These results suggest that stereotypes may be related to health-related outcomes notably through ego depletion effects.

Physical exercise and burnout facets predict injuries in a population-based sample of French career firefighters

Although firefighting is known to engender a high rate of injury, few studies have examined the contribution of physical exercise, burnout and coping strategies to firefighting-related injuries. Data were collected from a population-based sample of 220 male firefighters. In a descriptive study, the nature and site of the injuries and the relationships among firefighter injuries, physical exercise, burnout and coping strategies were examined. Sprains were the most prevalent type of injury (98%), followed by tendinitis (40%) and muscle tears (30%). More than two thirds of these injuries were located at the ankle. Weekly hours of physical exercise, cognitive weariness at work, social support seeking, problem-focused coping and emotional exhaustion were significantly related to these injuries. The findings suggest that physical exercise and cognitive weariness can be considered as risk factors for French firefighter injuries, whereas problem-focused coping can be seen as a protective factor. More research is needed to explain the relationship between social support seeking and injury.

Development and Validation of the Cancer Exercise Stereotypes Scale

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a French-language questionnaire measuring stereotypes related to exercise in cancer patients: The Cancer Exercise Stereotypes Scale (CESS). Four successive steps were carried out with 806 participants. First, a preliminary version was developed on the basis of the relevant literature and qualitative interviews. A test of clarity then led to the reformulation of six of the 30 items. Second, based on the modification indices of the first confirmatory factorial analysis, 11 of the 30 initial items were deleted. A new factorial structure analysis showed a good fit and validated a 19-item instrument with five subscales. Third, the stability of the instrument was tested over time. Last, tests of construct validity were conducted to examine convergent validity and discriminant validity. The French-language CESS appears to have good psychometric qualities and can be used to test theoretical tenets and inform intervention strategies on ways to foster exercise in cancer patients.

Exercise stereotypes and health-related outcomes in French people living with HIV: development and validation of an HIV Exercise Stereotypes Scale (HIVESS)

BackgroundThe main objective of the current study was to develop and validate a French exercise stereotype scale for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in order to gain visibility to the possible barriers and facilitators for exercise in PLHIV and thus enhance their quality of life.MethodsA series of four complementary studies was carried out with a total sample of 524 participants to: (a) develop a preliminary version of the HIV Exercise Stereotype Scale (HIVESS) (Stage 1), (b) confirm the factorial structure of the instrument (Stage 2), (c) evaluate the stability of the instrument (Stage 3), and (d) examine the construct and divergent validity of the scale (Stage 4).ResultsResults provided support for a 14-item scale with three sub-scales reporting stereotypes related to exercise benefits, exercise risks and lack of capacity for exercise with Cronbach’s alphas of .77, .69 and .76 respectively. Results showed good factorial structure, strong reliability and indicators of convergent validity relating to self-efficacy, exercise and quality of life.ConclusionThe HIVESS presented satisfactory psychometric properties, constitutes a reliable and valid instrument to measure exercise stereotypes among PLHIV and has applications for future research and clinical practice.

Implicit and explicit stereotype content associated with people with physical disability: Does sport change anything?

Objectives: This article examines whether sports practice can influence the stereotype content associated with people with physical disability from the viewpoint of people without disability. Design: Both implicit and explicit stereotypes were assessed for people with disability compared with people without disability (Study 1), people with disability who engage in sport compared with people without disability (Study 2), and people with disability who engage in sport compared with people with disability (Study 3). Method: Participants (NStudy1 = 57, NStudy 2 = 61, NStudy 3 = 63) performed a warmth‐Implicit Association Test and a competence‐Implicit Association Test and were asked to rate how strongly they associated a series of warmth and competence traits with one or the other group of people. Results: In Study 1, people with disability were implicitly associated with less positivity and explicitly associated with higher warmth but lower competence than people without disability. The same results were found in Study 2. In Study 3, people with disability who engage in sport were explicitly associated with higher warmth and competence than people with disability but this result failed to emerge at an implicit level. Conclusions: The influence of practicing sport on the stereotype content associated with people with physical disability seems less consistent than has been assumed thus far. The results suggest the need for further study of the implicit stereotype content concerning people with disability and the types of information that might weaken the link between disability and negativity. HighlightsExamining how sports information on stereotypes about disability is proposed.Doing sport for people with disability is a strategy to change explicit stereotypes.Sports participation has no influence on the implicit negative stereotypes.

Exercise stereotypes and fatigue in people living with HIV: does self-efficacy play a mediating or a moderating role?

BackgroundRecent research suggests that exercise stereotypes may influence physical activity through ego depletion and internalization mechanisms. The objective of this study was to better understand exercise stereotypes mechanisms among people living with HIV (PLHIV) by further examining the role of exercise self-efficacy and perceived physical fatigue in the relationship between exercise stereotypes and physical activity.MethodsThree hundred five people living with HIV were recruited to provide data on their stereotypes related to exercise, exercise self-efficacy, perceived physical fatigue as well as their level of physical activity (PA).ResultsFrom the different models tested, the serial mediation model with exercise self-efficacy and perceived physical fatigue as mediators of the relationship between exercise stereotypes and PA, as well as the moderated mediation model with exercise selfefficacy as a moderator of exercise stereotypes and perceived physical fatigue a mediator, provided good fits to the data. However, the moderated mediation model (with indirect associations between negative exercise stereotypes and PA via perceived physical fatigue being moderated by exercise self-efficacy) explained the most variance in PA (R2 = .27).ConclusionThe moderated mediation model suggests that exercise stereotypes might influence PA through ego depletion mechanisms and be tempered by exercise self-efficacy.