Exploring automatic processes underlying the regulation of physical activity behaviour in children

Abstract

Most children globally do not meet the recommended physical activity (PA) levels. The current approach to PA promotion is mostly based on social-cognitive theories, suggesting that reflective (controlled) processes underpin PA engagement. Emerging research suggests that less reflective (automatic) processes underpin PA behaviour regulation, beyond controlled processes. Automatic processes have been explored in adults, with promising results, but little is known in child populations. The overarching theme of this thesis was to explore automatic processes that underlie PA behaviour regulation in children. A theoretical framework based on dual-process theories identified key automatic processes and outlined their mechanisms in PA behaviour regulation. A rationale for exploring automatic processes in children was developed through systematic literature review and expert opinions. Key automatic processes (and their neural underpinnings) were examined in experimental studies to understand their role in children’s PA behaviour regulation, including automatic attitudes, attentional bias, and inhibitory control. The results indicated that PA interventions have not been effective in increasing PA and reducing sedentary behaviour (SB) in children and that new approaches to PA promotion are needed, including automatic processes. A negative association was found between automatic attitudes and PA after accounting for controlled processes. Attentional bias towards PA and higher prefrontal cortex activity were observed when attending to PA (vs. SB) stimuli, suggesting a higher cognitive load. When inhibiting PA/SB (vs. neutral) stimuli, a higher prefrontal cortex activity was observed in more active children, but not in less active children, suggesting differences in learned cognitive control. The results indicated that automatic processes may underpin PA behaviour regulation in children above and beyond controlled processes. This thesis provided initial evidence for the role of automatic processes in children’s PA behaviour regulation and its findings can contribute to the development of effective interventions for improving PA in children.

Date of Award	25 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Fiona Ling (Supervisor), Gavin Tempest (Supervisor) & Florentina Hettinga (Supervisor)