Research on exercise identity (EXID) indicates that it is related to negative affect
when exercisers are inconsistent or relapse. Although identity theory suggests
that causal attributions about this inconsistency elicit negative self-conscious
emotions of shame and guilt, no EXID studies have examined this for exercise
relapse. Weiner’s attribution-based theory of interpersonal motivation (2010)
offers a means of testing the attribution-emotion link. Using both frameworks, we
examined whether EXID and attributional properties predicted negative emotions
for exercise relapse. Participants (n = 224) read an exercise relapse vignette, and
then completed EXID, attributions, and emotion measures. Hierarchical multiple
regression models using EXID and the attributional property of controllability
significantly predicted each of shame and guilt, R2 adjusted = .09, ps ≤ .001. Results
support identity theory suggestions and Weiner’s specific attribution-emotion
hypothesis. This first demonstration of an interlinking of EXID, controllability,
and negative self-conscious emotions offers more predictive utility using complementary
theories than either theory alone.