Extraversion, emotional instability, and self-reported exercise: The mediating effects of approach-avoidance achievement goals

Background: Understanding leisure time physical inactivity is a priority in Westernized nations where participation rates are low. The present study sought to address this priority by examining whether the extraversion and emotional instability to leisure time exercise relationships were mediated through Elliot's (1999) 2×2 achievement goals. Methods: Participants were 116 female and 97 male volunteers from a Southwestern community (mean age=37.21 years, range 24-69) who completed measures of extraversion, emotional instability, approach-avoidance achievement goals, and 7-day recall of leisure-time exercise. Multiple mediation models (Preacher and Hayes, 2008) were run to specifically examine our hypotheses. Results: The mastery-approach goal mediated the relationship from extraversion to overall exercise and strenuous intensity exercise. Results indicated emotional instability had direct effects on overall and strenuous leisure time exercise while also having significant (p<0.05) indirect mediation paths through the performance-approach and avoidance goals. The extraversion and emotional instability models accounted from 15.89% to 29.82% of variance in the various self-reported exercise measures. Conclusion: The results suggest the promotion of leisure-time exercise would be improved in the studied personalities by manipulation of achievement goals.