Virtual and Live Social Facilitation While Exergaming: Competitiveness Moderates Exercise Intensity
in Journal of Sport and Exercise PsychologyClick name to view affiliation
Grounded in social facilitation theory, this study compared the impact on exercise intensity of a virtual versus a live competitor, when riding a virtual reality-enhanced stationary bike (“cybercycle”). It was hypothesized that competitiveness would moderate effects. Twenty-three female college students were exposed to three conditions on a cybercycle: solo training, virtual competitor, and live competitor. After training without a competitor (solo condition for familiarization with equipment), participants competed against a virtual avatar or live rider (random order of presentation). A repeated-measures analysis revealed a significant condition (virtual/live) by competitiveness (high/low) interaction for exercise intensity (watts). More competitive participants exhibited significantly greater exercise intensity when competing against a live versus virtual competitor. The implication is that live competitors can have an added social facilitation effect and influence exercise intensity, although competitiveness moderates this effect.
Amanda L. Snyder and Cay Anderson-Hanley are with the Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY, and Paul J. Arciero is with the Department of Health & Exercise Sciences, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY.
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