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Social and Behavioral Sciences

(68) INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL SELF-EFFICACY ON PERCEIVED INCREMENTAL FORCE EXERTION ACCURACY FOLLOWING A 3-, 6-, OR 12-WEEK STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COURSE

Thursday, July 13, 2023
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM East Coast USA Time
Location: Milano III-IV
Abstract Details:

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of perceived force exertion at submaximal increments following participation in a 3-week, 6-week, and 12-week strength and conditioning course. Continually, researchers aimed to examine the influence of course participation on physical self-efficacy and perceived incremental force exertion accuracy. 

Methods: Forty-nine individuals (age: 22.5 ± 4.9 years) were conveniently sampled from an undergraduate-level strength and conditioning course to complete the study. Participants completed five surveys regarding demographic information, personality, physical self-efficacy, exercise-self-efficacy, and general self-efficacy. Upon completing the surveys, participants completed an initial incremental force exertion measurement using a hand-grip dynamometer. All data collection was accomplished with the participants in a seated, comfortable position with their dominant forearm resting supinated on a table. Participants were asked to produce maximal force on the hand-grip dynamometer followed by various percentages of incremental force (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the maximal effort). Each participant completed nine measurements on the hand-grip dynamometer with adequate rest (90 to 120 seconds) in between bouts. The protocol of survey completion and hand-grip measurements was repeated 3-weeks, 6-weeks, or 12-weeks later, depending on participants’ randomly assigned testing group. Analysis of hand-grip perceived force exertion error was compared by group and by force increment (Figure 1, r = 0.214, p < 0.001). A linear regression analysis determined the relationship between physical self-efficacy and hand-grip force error for the increments of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% perceived exertion. 

Results: Results indicate that the increment with the most variance in error was the submaximal perceived exertion of 25%; the most accurate increment was at 100% exertion, regardless of participation in 3-, 6-, or 12-week strength and conditioning course. However, participation in the course had a positive linear relationship with physical self-efficacy and perceived physical ability (r = 0.773, p = 0.003). 

Conclusion: The relationship between strength and conditioning course participation and perceived physical self-efficacy was found to be reliable, regardless of length of course time. This relationship, however, did not influence the accuracy of incremental perceived force exertion. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: These results infer that education of strength and conditioning practices influence task-specific self-efficacy and one’s perceived physical abilities. However, physical therapists, trainers, and coaches using perceived incremental exertion in their practice may yield inconsistent force production results, regardless of educational interventions.

Acknowledgements: None