Attenuation of the Köhler Effect in Racially Dissimilar Partnered Exercise Reversed Using Team Identity Strategy

in Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Tayo Moss*,1, Stephen Samendinger*,2, Norbert L. Kerr*,1, Joseph Cesario*,1, Alan L. Smith*,1, Deborah J. Johnson*,1, and Deborah L. Feltz*,1
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  • 1 Michigan State University
  • | 2 SUNY-Farmingdale
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2020-0085
Keywords:
dyads; exercise motivation; racial stereotypes; social identity; team strategies
First Published Online:
10 Feb 2021
In Print:
Volume 43: Issue 2
Page Range:
105–114
Restricted access

The authors describe two research experiments exploring the influence of race on the Köhler motivation gain effect with exercise tasks. Experiment 1 tested whether partner racial dissimilarity affects individual performance. Experiment 2 created a team identity recategorization intervention to potentially counter the influence on performance observed in Experiment 1. White male participants were partnered with either a Black or Asian partner (Experiment 1) or with a Black partner utilizing team names and shirt colors as a team identity recategorization strategy (Experiment 2). Racially dissimilar dyads completed two sets of abdominal plank exercises with a Köhler conjunctive task paradigm (stronger partner; team performance outcome dependent upon the weaker-ability participant’s performance). The results of Experiment 1 suggest attenuation of the previously successful group motivation gain effect in the racially dissimilar condition. The simple recategorization strategy utilized in Experiment 2 appeared to reverse motivation losses under conjunctive-task conditions in racially dissimilar exercise dyads.

Moss, Kerr, Cesario, Smith, Johnson and Feltz are with Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. Samendinger is with SUNY-Farmingdale, East Farmingdale, NY, USA.

Moss (mosstayo@gmail.com) is corresponding author.

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

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