Scholar Profiles
Jessica Rae Saul
2004 - 2005 University Scholar
Mentor: Peter Giacobbi
College of Health and Human Performance
"My project covers a broad scope across not only the exercise realm, but also psychology. This will be the first time we are applying sport psychology methods to regular people who want to exercise, not directly to athletes."
Jessica is a senior majoring in psychology. She is a member of Golden Key International Honors Society and is completing her honors thesis. Her academic interests center around exercise physiology and kinesiology, specifically stress and motivation. She plans to pursue a PhD in management and is a research assistant in a communication sciences and disorders lab. She is also involved with Dance Marathon.
Research Description:
Motivation and Exercise Adherence
Using a sample of 100 participants (50 control and 50 experimental), a technique called Motivational Interviewing will be employed to increase exercise adherence in adults ages 50-75. Each participant will receive a free membership to a fitness facility so they have full access to exercise equipment while involved with the study, and may use the facility at their own discretion. The experimental group will go through a series of seven interviews as to increase their confidence and motivation to exercise. After these interviews, it is hoped that the amount of exercise in each participant will increase significantly from the inception of the program to its culmination.
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