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Regular physical activity is widely recognized as essential for physical and mental health, yet maintaining exercise routines remains a major behavioral challenge. Social comparison processes may play an important role in shaping motivation and persistence in exercise behaviors. While comparisons with others can sometimes motivate behavior change, they may also produce discouraging effects depending on how they are interpreted.
The present study examines the effectiveness of a structured intervention designed to train constructive social comparison in the context of physical activity. The intervention aims to help participants reinterpret comparisons with others in ways that promote motivation, realistic goal setting, and sustained engagement in exercise.
In a randomized controlled trial, young adults with low levels of physical activity are assigned either to an intervention group receiving training in constructive social comparison or to an active control group receiving general health education related to physical activity. Both groups participate in an eight-week program and follow the same basic exercise recommendations. Outcomes include exercise adherence, interpretation of social comparison, and social comparison orientation.
Maintaining regular physical activity is a persistent challenge for many individuals, particularly among young adults and university students. Although motivation to begin exercising is often high, adherence frequently declines within a short period. Psychological mechanisms that influence how individuals interpret social information about exercise may therefore represent promising targets for behavioral interventions.
Social comparison theory proposes that individuals evaluate their abilities and behaviors by comparing themselves with others. Such comparisons can either facilitate motivation or undermine self-efficacy depending on how they are cognitively interpreted. In contemporary digital environments, exposure to others' exercise behaviors through social media and fitness applications has increased the frequency of these comparison processes.
The present randomized controlled trial evaluates an intervention designed to train constructive interpretation of social comparison in the context of physical activity. The intervention focuses on helping participants identify maladaptive comparison patterns, reinterpret upward comparisons as sources of learning rather than discouragement, select realistic comparison targets, and translate comparison experiences into concrete behavioral goals related to exercise.
Participants are randomly assigned to either an intervention condition involving structured training in constructive social comparison or to an active control condition involving general health education related to physical activity. Both groups participate in an eight-week program consisting of weekly group sessions and follow the same general exercise recommendations.
Primary outcomes include exercise adherence measured through validated self-report instruments and behavioral indicators. Secondary outcomes include changes in interpretation of social comparison and social comparison orientation.
The study aims to determine whether training individuals to reinterpret social comparisons constructively can improve adherence to exercise and to clarify the psychological mechanisms linking comparison processes to health behavior change.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Constructive Social Comparison Training | Experimental | Participants assigned to this condition receive an eight-week intervention designed to train constructive interpretation of social comparison in the context of physical activity. The program includes weekly group sessions (60-75 minutes) led by a trained facilitator. Sessions include psychoeducation about social comparison processes, identification of maladaptive comparison patterns, cognitive reframing strategies, selection of realistic comparison targets, and translation of comparisons into concrete behavioral goals related to exercise. Participants also complete short between-session exercises including comparison monitoring and written reframing exercises. All participants are encouraged to engage in regular moderate physical activity during the program. |
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| Active Comparator: General Health Education | Active Comparator | Participants in the control condition receive an eight-week program consisting of weekly sessions of similar duration and structure to the intervention group. However, these sessions focus on general health education related to physical activity rather than social comparison processes. Topics include the health benefits of physical activity, recommended levels of weekly exercise, sleep hygiene, hydration, and strategies for organizing daily routines to support healthy behavior. Participants also follow the same general recommendations for engaging in regular moderate physical activity during the program. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructive Social Comparison Training | Behavioral | weekly group sessions (60-75 minutes) led by a trained facilitator. |
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| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise adherence | Exercise adherence will be measured using the Adolescent Exercise Habits Scale (AEHS), a 12-item validated instrument assessing exercise consistency, self-motivation for exercise, and the integration of physical activity into daily life. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Total scores are calculated as the mean of the items, with higher scores indicating stronger and more stable exercise habits and greater adherence to regular physical activity. | Baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after the 8-week intervention (post-intervention), and 4 weeks after completion of the intervention (follow-up). |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Constructive interpretation of social comparison | Constructive and discouraging interpretations of social comparison in exercise contexts will be assessed using a six-item questionnaire developed for this study. The instrument includes two subscales: constructive comparison (3 items) and discouraging comparison (3 items). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Higher scores on the constructive items indicate a greater tendency to interpret upward social comparisons as motivating and informative, whereas higher scores on the discouraging items indicate a greater tendency to interpret comparisons as discouraging. |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunan City University | Jiaozuo | Henan | 454099 | China |
The protection of the privacy of our respondents does not allow us to share IPD.
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| General Health Education | Behavioral | Topics include the health benefits of physical activity, recommended levels of weekly exercise, sleep hygiene, hydration, and strategies for organizing daily routines to support healthy behavior. |
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| Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 8-week intervention. |
| Social comparison orientation | Social comparison orientation will be measured using the short version of the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM). The short version includes six items assessing individuals' general tendency to compare their abilities and opinions with those of others. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating a stronger dispositional tendency to engage in social comparison. | Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 8-week intervention. |