Relationship of Attitudes and Locus of Control to Exercise and Physical Fitness

Abstract

Locus of control and attitudes toward physical activity specifying direction for the control construct were related to cardiovascular fitness and to measures of voluntary physical exercise in 102 male upperclassmen. Comparing dependent variable scores for internals and externals within attitude score quartiles produced significant attitude, control, and interaction effects on the fitness variable. Only the attitude effect was significant on voluntary exercise reports. Internal Ss with more favorable attitudes toward physical activity obtained significantly better fitness scores and reported significantly greater amounts of voluntary physical exercise than the rest of the sample.