Turner Martin J, Frost Nick, Outar Leon, O'Connor Helen, Tóth Renátó, Tóth László, Chadha Nanaki, Wood Andrew G
School of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Private Consultant, London, United Kingdom.
Front Psychol. 2025 Jul 15;16:1557885. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557885. eCollection 2025.
The present paper aims to extend the scant research into REBT within an exercise population. A growing body of research supports the application of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) theory and practice in exercise populations. However, very few research studies have tested the effects of REBT on exercise promotion. One vehicle through which REBT might facilitate exercise engagement is through mechanisms associated with self-determination theory (SDT).
In the current paper, using a staggered multiple-baseline across-participants single-case experimental design, REBT is applied with two non-exercising participants via video conferencing. We wanted to test the effects of REBT on participants' irrational beliefs, self-determined motivation, readiness, confidence, and motivation for positive change in exercise behavior.
Visual and statistical analyses indicate that from pre to post REBT, participants reported reduced irrational beliefs, increased self-determined motivation, and increased readiness, confidence, and motivation for positive change. Findings are supported by social validation thematic analysis, in which positive changes in exercise behavior and motivation to exercise were revealed.
The novelty of this paper is in its application of REBT (a specific form of CBT) to exercise participants, a rarely studied population in REBT literature. It is hoped that the paper helps the field to take another step towards the applicability of REBT in exercisers by adding to only three previous empirical works. The robust design and triangulation of analysis offers considerable value to the existing body of research suggesting that REBT is a promising one-to-one strategy for promoting exercise initiation in sedentary populations.
本文旨在拓展针对运动人群开展的关于理性情绪行为疗法（REBT）的少量研究。越来越多的研究支持将理性情绪行为疗法（REBT）的理论与实践应用于运动人群。然而，极少有研究检验过REBT对促进运动的效果。REBT促进运动参与的一种方式可能是通过与自我决定理论（SDT）相关的机制。
在本文中，采用跨参与者的交错多基线单案例实验设计，通过视频会议对两名不运动的参与者实施REBT。我们想检验REBT对参与者不合理信念、自我决定动机、准备度、信心以及运动行为积极改变的动机的影响。
视觉分析和统计分析表明，从REBT实施前到实施后，参与者报告称不合理信念减少，自我决定动机增加，且准备度、信心以及积极改变的动机增强。社会效度主题分析支持了这些发现，该分析揭示了运动行为和运动动机的积极变化。
本文的新颖之处在于将REBT（认知行为疗法的一种具体形式）应用于运动参与者，这在REBT文献中是一个鲜有研究的群体。希望本文通过补充此前仅有的三项实证研究，能助力该领域在REBT对运动者的适用性方面再进一步。强大的设计和分析的三角互证法为现有研究体系提供了相当大的价值，表明REBT是一种在久坐人群中促进运动开始的很有前景的一对一策略。
