Automatic evaluations associated with running exercise: validation of a running-related Single-Target Implicit Association Test (ST-IAT)

Exercise-related behavior seems to be determined by both cognitive-reflective and automatic affective evaluations associated with physical activity or exercise. According to Brand and Ekkekakis (2018) the impact of automatic evaluations on exercise-related decision making and motivation is considerable. Indeed, a few empirical studies have confirmed the link between exercise-related behavior and automatic evaluations (Conroy et al., 2010; Bluemke et al., 2010; Brand & Schweizer, 2015; Antoniewicz & Brand, 2016). In exercise psychological research automatic evaluations of exercising have been assessed, inter alia, by using the Implicit Association Test (IAT; originally Greenwald et al., 1998). The IATs reported mainly target exercise in general. In order to estimate automatic evaluations associated with a particular type of exercise (e.g. running), implicit measures specifically targeting certain physical activities are needed. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a modified Single-Target Implicit Association Test (ST-IAT; Bluemke & Friese, 2008) which measures automatic evaluations towards running. Silhouettes of female runners represented the target category (i.e. running). Smileys and Frownies were used to depict the evaluative categories ‘positive’ and ‘negative’, respectively. In the first block (B1) participants were familiarized with the task paradigm featuring the evaluative categories (i.e. Smileys and Frownies) only (24 stimuli in total). Critical blocks (B3 & B5) contained 84 trials and were preceded by practice blocks (B2 & B4) containing 28 trials. Stimuli were presented in a randomized order. In order to prevent a response bias by unbalanced key assignment, stimuli were presented in a left-right hand ratio of 42:58 following Karpinski & Steinmann (2006). Therefore, target stimuli, associated evaluative stimuli and unassociated evaluative stimuli were presented in a ratio of 8:8:12 in practice blocks (B2 & B4) and a ratio of 24:24:36 in critical blocks (B3 & B5), respectively. A sample of 104 participants (Meanage = 25.5 ± 4.7; nfemales = 68) completed the running-related ST-IAT and explicit measures regarding their cognitive and affective associations with running (modified after Crites et al., 1994). The data collection was conducted online and data processing is still ongoing. Measures of reliability (i.e. internal consistency estimated via split-half correlation) and validity (i.e. construct validity estimated via correlations with explicit measures) of the running-related ST-IAT and the explicit measures will be presented. Furthermore, a preview on practical implications of the running-related ST-IAT predicting actual running behavior and states (e.g. vitality) in young females during a running intervention study will be provided.