Lindheimer Jacob B, OʼConnor Patrick J, McCully Kevin K, Dishman Rod K
From the Department of Kinesiology (Lindheimer, O'Connor, McCully, Dishman), University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Psychosom Med. 2017 Feb/Mar;79(2):243-253. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000381.
Prior attempts to measure psychological responses to exercise are potentially limited by a failure to account for participants' expectations, the absence of a valid exercise placebo, and demand characteristics. The purpose of this study was to explore the main and interactive effects of a manipulation designed to increase expectations about the psychological benefits of an acute bout of active, light-intensity (treatment), and passive (placebo) cycling on mood and cognition. Demand characteristics were attenuated during recruitment, informed consent, and interactions with test administrators by communicating to participants that the study purpose was to assess the effects of active and passive cycling on respiration, heart rate, and muscle activation.
A repeated-measures, randomized, placebo-controlled design (n = 60) was used with cycling (active, passive) and information (informed, not informed) as between-subjects factors. State anxiety, feelings of energy, and working memory (percent accuracy and reaction time for correct responses) were measured at baseline (time 1), immediately after cycling (time 2) and 20 minutes after cycling (time 3).
Most participants did not guess the purpose of the study (92%) or expect a reduction in state anxiety (85%) or an increase in energy (80%) or cognitive performance (93%). Mood and cognitive performance were not improved by active or passive cycling (all p values ≥ .12).
The methods used here to disguise the experimental hypotheses provide a potential framework for reducing demand characteristics and placebo responses in future investigations of psychological responses to exercise.
先前测量运动心理反应的尝试可能受到以下因素限制：未能考虑参与者的期望、缺乏有效的运动安慰剂以及需求特征。本研究的目的是探讨一种旨在提高对一次急性主动、低强度（治疗组）和被动（安慰剂组）骑行心理益处期望的操作对情绪和认知的主要及交互作用。在招募、知情同意以及与测试管理人员互动过程中，通过向参与者说明研究目的是评估主动和被动骑行对呼吸、心率和肌肉激活的影响，从而减弱需求特征。
采用重复测量、随机、安慰剂对照设计（n = 60），将骑行（主动、被动）和信息（告知、未告知）作为组间因素。在基线（时间1）、骑行后即刻（时间2）和骑行后20分钟（时间3）测量状态焦虑、精力感和工作记忆（正确反应的准确率和反应时间百分比）。
大多数参与者未猜出研究目的（约92%），也未期望状态焦虑降低（85%）、精力增加（80%）或认知表现提高（约93%）。主动或被动骑行均未改善情绪和认知表现（所有p值≥0.12）。
本研究中用于掩盖实验假设的方法为未来运动心理反应研究中减少需求特征和安慰剂反应提供了一个潜在框架。
