Citation

Allen CL, Montes E, Hoang T, Romo T, Peña J, Navarro J. Health Commun. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10410236.2023.2277573

PMID

37941378

Abstract

This study investigated how visual messages conveying stereotype threat or lift influenced physical activity performance. Participants (N = 380) were exposed to a stereotype threat, lift, or control condition image and then engaged in a running task. Accelerometers recorded forward-backward movement, upward-downward movement, and sideways balance. Stereotype threat exposure increased state anxiety relative to the control condition. In addition, forward-backward movement was linked to state anxiety and participants' sex. Moreover, women exposed to stereotype threat who experienced increased state anxiety showed reduced forward-backward movement. Men exposed to stereotype lift displayed higher forward-backward movement. Additionally, stereotype threat visual message exposure increased sideways balance activity for women but not for men. Upward-downward movement was unaffected by stereotype threat or lift. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of how exposure to visual stereotypes can influence physical activity performance.

Language: en