Self-presentational impact on the decision making process for participant sport consumption

Date of Completion

January 2005

Keywords

Health Sciences, Recreation

Degree

Ph.D.

Abstract

There are two main approaches for understanding any behavioral decision making process in many domains (Kang, 1996). The first of these is an attitudinal approach. The second approach for investigating behavioral decisions is the self-concept approach. Both the attitude and self-concept approaches have contributed to an elucidation of the initial stage of exercise behavior. However, with respect to the self-concept approaches, these have focused primarily on the private-self while researchers have paid little attention to the public-self (Leary, 1992). Individuals exercise not only to be healthy physiologically and psychologically, but also for a desire to be attractive. However, little research has been conducted by using the self-presentational perspective, that is, to control other's impression for him or her, to investigate the initial stage of exercise involvement. It is expected that the study of the initial stage of exercise behavior through the self-presentational perspective is especially fruitful and helpful for understanding that stage. Thus, the general purpose of this study is to examine self-presentational influences on participant sport consumption. In addition, the relationship between the self-presentational motive and the utilitarian decision making process based on the theory of reasoned action (Kang 2002) will be examined. ^ The data were collected using college undergraduate students at a four-year public institution in New England during the spring semester 2004. A total of 323 students answered the questionnaire. ^ Structural equation modeling, SEM, was conducted to examine the relationships. According to the results obtained, self-presentation was not a significant antecedent of intentions to participate in the health club whereas attitudes toward participating in the health club were a significant antecedent of intentions with strong impact. However, self-presentation influenced the relationship between attitudes and intentions. The degree of self-presentation showed moderate effect on the degree of attitudes. Whereas the degree of attitudes indicated strong direct effect on intentions, it moderates the relationship between the degree of self-presentation and the degree of intention. Thus, the degree of intentions was indirectly influenced by the degree of self-presentation via attitudes. ^

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