A study of the self-reported patterns of physical self-efficacy and touch communication attitudes

• Main Author: Mulvihill, Daniel William
• Other Authors: Ball State University. Dept. of Physiology and Health Science.
• Format: Others
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Locus of control.; Touch.; Health.; Physical fitness.
• Online Access: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/184378; http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/834527

The purpose of this investigation was to describe patterns of physical self-efficacy and touch communication attitudes, by gender. The understanding of these two cognitive measures may contribute to the foundation for explaining the dynamics of physical, social, and emotional wellness or at least contribute to the current literature and serve as a guide for future research. Two undergraduate health science classes, consisting of 130 males and 158 females, were surveyed with a combined instrument that measured physical self-efficacy, using the Physical Self-Efficacy Inventory developed by Ryckman and colleagues (1982), and touch communication, using the TACTYPE instrument developed by Hines (1978). A secondary purpose of this study was to describe the subscale relationships between the two aforementioned instruments. Frequency tables and summary statistics were computed to describe physical self-efficacy and touch communication total scores. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to describe subscale relationships. A gender difference for total physical self-efficacy was noted. In addition, some significant, but relatively weak, correlations were described between the two instruments' subscales. This writing includes: (a) An introduction, (b) a literature review that introduces wellness, explains physical self-efficacy and touch communication, and describes their relationship to health, (c) a synopsis of the research method, (d) a descriptive report of the findings, and (e) a summary with discussion, conclusions and recommendations for future study. === Department of Physiology and Health Science