Efficacy, Adherence and Demographics

Self Efficacy

Self Efficacy takes on a central role in Bandura’s social cognitive theory.

Self Efficacy is a product of:

• Expectations – perceived the ability to achieve a certain behaviour
• Outcomes – expected success the behaviour will provide.

Expectations mediate all behavioural change:

• Determine whether an individual attempts a given task
• The degree of persistence when the difficulty is encountered
• Outcomes – ultimate success or failure.

Personal Efficacy

Based on 4 major sources of information:

• Performance experience or mastery – did activity or similar previously and had success
• Vicarious or observational experience of others –see others enjoying themselves while engaging in activity
• Verbal persuasion – encouraged by others already doing the activity
• Emotional and physiological states – in the right frame of mind or physical condition.

Stronger the self-efficacy, the more likely the individual will initiate and persist with a specific behavior.

Barring health factors, self-efficacy exerts a consistently powerful influence on the exercise behaviour of older adults.

Adherence

Adherence increases with:

• Perceived social support
• Those who see high value in physical health
• Those who associate pleasure with an exercise session
• Those who exercise frequently rather than spasmodically
• Group cohesiveness results in significantly higher adherence rates, especially in older women.

Majority of research confirms:

Self efficacy beliefs are critical to the initial adoption of an exercise routine but pleasure and satisfaction are more important for sustaining that behaviour.

Regulatory Skills

Certain self-regulatory skills appear to benefit adherence:

• Goal setting
• Monitoring progress
• Self-reinforcement – intrinsic motivation.

Prompting by session organisers is also important especially in initial stages of regular exercise – emails, texts, telephone counselling.

Simple prompts more effective than lengthy educational sessions.

Music

The use of music in exercise programs:

• Enhances the experience
• Adds interest
• Facilitates adherence
• Lessens perceptions of difficulty, monotony, and exercise discomfort
• Older adults showed a preference for instrumental music.

Readings

Musical exercise: A novel strategy for advancing healthy aging

The effect of instrumental and vocal music on adherence to a physical rehabilitation program