Reinforcing Value of Exercising
Introduction
Reinforcing behaviors include those habits that an individual is ready to engage in. The existence of natural reinforces, including food and water, have evolved in all living organisms. While research has majorly concentrated on other reinforcing habits that exist in the current society, such as gambling, alcohol, and drug use, there are reinforcing behaviors which exist. The reinforcing value of behavior is a great sign for an individual to engage in that behavior, in that individuals tend to prefer behaviors which are reinforcing. To some people, exercising is a type of reinforcing behavior. Studies have investigated the influence of an individual’s reinforcing worth of exercise and the extent that one likes to exercise on exercise participation. Typically, it is assumed that a person’s reinforcing worth of aerobic exercise strongly drives the engagement in mild to spirited, physical activity, whereas preference for aerobic exercise fails in influencing exercise behavior. Additionally, an individual’s reinforcing worth of resistance exercises such as lifting weights strongly influences resistance exercise habits, whereas preference of resistance exercise does not influence behavior (Flack, Johnson, & Roemmich, 2017). Therefore, the reinforcing value of resistance exercise and aerobics are strong indicators compared to the extent to which a person likes engaging in resistance and aerobic exercise. In other words, merely liking exercising is insufficient to be motivated towards engaging in it. Furthermore, individuals who highly value exercise due to its reinforcing value are highly probable to exercise regardless of their fondness towards it. This paper seeks to explain that there is a need for future research finding ways of making exercise more reinforcing in an effort to increase participation in exercise.
Data Collection and Measurement
Reinforcing value emerges as a strong indicator of engagement in exercising, among other reinforcing behavior compared to hedonic value. The connections between liking and reinforcing value of physical activity among adults are yet to be studied and might depend on the available mode of exercise during the testing of exercise reinforcement. In this study, there is the use of correlational research design as well as a descriptive research design to find the reinforcing value of exercise as well as the relation between reinforcing value and preference for physical activity among adults with usual participation in resistance exercise and aerobics. A sample of 88 people was used in the measurement of preference of aerobic exercise training (AT) and relative reinforcing value (RRV). The data was collected from the sample was also used to measure usual resistance exercise behavior, as well as mild to vigorous physical activity through the value of resistance exercise training (RT). The participants were given physical activity questionnaires. In determining the relative reinforcing value, the participants were involved in a progressive ratio program task, which determines the amount of work that was conducted for exercise compared to sedentary alternatives. The questionnaire was used to determine the tolerance and preference for exercise intensity.
Results and Analysis
The results showed a correlation between the relative reinforcing value of aerobic exercise training and the preference for aerobics training, with an R-value of 0.22 and a p-value of less than 0.04. Further on, there was a positive association between mild-to-vigorous physical activity and relative reinforcing value of aerobic exercise training and preference of resistance exercise training, which had a p-value of less than 0.001 and R-value of 0.42. Furthermore, RRV of aerobics exercise training was found to be positively associated with relative resistance training. Neither preference for aerobics exercising training or relative resistance training was found to be associated with relative resistance training behavior or mild-to-vigorous physical activity.
Consequently, the participants showed a positive increase in relative reinforcing value. Exercise reinforcement can be described as the amount of completed work for exercise without accounting for sedentary activity. With an increase in tolerance and preference and reinforcing value for exercise intensity, the results indicated an increase in relative reinforcing value exercise.
The results revealed that the relative resistance value of physical activity is an indicator of physical activity level among adults. Furthermore, it might be naturally increasingly reinforcing for individuals to take part in several short exercise sessions compared to fewer and more extensive exercise sessions. Moreover, individuals likely take part in activity sessions of short durations at an increased rate in the natural environment since it is increasingly reinforcing compared to more extended, constant activity. Therefore, relative reinforcing value and liking of physical activity have an independent association with mild-to-vigorous physical activity (Roemmich et al., 2008). From the results, it became evident that the combination of preference for physical activity and high relative reinforcing value is linked with greater participation in mild-to-vigorous physical activity.
Conclusion
The cross-sectional study has revealed that adults who associate aerobic exercise with high reinforcement have a high likelihood of meeting the guidelines of physical activity with regard to intense physical activity. On the other hand, individuals who associate relative resistance value of exercise with high reinforcement have a higher likelihood to meet the recommended muscular-strengthening tasks as well as intense physical activity (Flack et al., 2019). With regard to exercise or physical activity, the primary indicators of the decision to exercise as opposed to sedentary behavior are access to alternative sedentary habits or exercise, and relative reinforcing value of exercise compared to other presented alternatives. An increase in reinforcing worth of exercise compared to sedentary habits that are the relative reinforcing value of exercise implies a shift in choice in favor of physically active behavior and increased participation in the exercise as well as meeting physical activity guidelines.
In other words, the study highlights that repeated exercise exposure through a structured program of exercising that contains short intervals of sessions increases the relative reinforcing value of exercise by reducing the reinforcing worth of sedentary options. Furthermore, the reinforcing worth of a method of exercise is a more robust indicator compared to the preference of the same method of exercise for an average amount of exercise participation.
Summary
It appears logical that gaining greater tolerance and liking for exercise intensity linked with exercise is essential before exercise increases in becoming reinforcing. While some people regard exercise as a reinforcing behavior, a person’s reinforcing worth of aerobic exercise actively drives the engagement in mild to spirited, physical activity. Furthermore, the preference for aerobic exercise fails in influencing exercise behavior (Roemmich et al., 2008). The data indicated a strong relation between relative resistance training and aerobic exercise training. Resistance training generally includes activities such as lifting weights. In other words, exercising is a robust reinforcing behavior.
References
Flack, K. D., Johnson, L., & Roemmich, J. N. (2017). The reinforcing value and liking of resistance training and aerobic exercise as predictors of adult’s physical activity. Physiology & behavior, 179, 284-289.
Roemmich, J. N., Barkley, J. E., Lobarinas, C. L., Foster, J. H., White, T. M., & Epstein, L. H. (2008). Association of liking and reinforcing value with children’s physical activity. Physiology & behavior, 93(4-5), 1011-1018.
Flack, K. D., Ufholz, K. E., Johnson, L., & Roemmich, J. N. (2019). Increasing the Reinforcing Value of Exercise in Overweight Adults. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 13, 265.