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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Self-Awareness and Coping Style: Differential Effects of Mild Physical Exercise

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Publisher Summary This chapter presents a study focusing on self-awareness and coping style. By using a multidimensional model of activation (arousal), the long-term effect of mild exercise (10 minute treadmill walk) was investigated in the chapter. Additionally, the habitual coping style and self-awareness of the subjects were assessed using a questionnaire technique. N = 40 male and female introductory psychology students served as subjects. The session for each subject lasted two hours with measures taken every 10 minutes on the self-report dimensions of the activation–deactivation adjective checklist and physiological indicators, such as heart rate, pulse volume amplitude, and skin conductance level. The results showed a general exercise effect for a time period up to 30 min after the exercise: The self-report of energetic arousal, as well as the pulse volume amplitude were significantly elevated for the experimental group. A differential analysis provided further insight into this phenomenon. Also there were no differences on the physiological level of arousal repressers and sensitizers displayed significant different verbal reports stressing the importance of the underlying self-awareness and cognitive appraisals. Whereas extreme repressers spoke of no feelings at all, sensitizers reported an effect for 20 minutes.