SELF-PERCEPTION OF FITNESS AND PERSONALITY-TRAITS

Our aim was to analyze how subjects perceive their own physical fitnes s. In Study 1 the 247 subjects assessed their own fitness, endurance, strength, flexibility, and body composition according to specific cate gory scales. Analyses showed that self-perceived physical fitness was mainly related to perceived cardiovascular endurance. According to sex and age, strength, flexibility, and body composition could have a sig nificant influence. The scores obtained on the five scales were highly correlated, suggesting they were overdetermined by a more general fac tor assimilated to physical self-worth. In Study 2 the 91 subjects com pleted the same five scales, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inven tory, the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory, and the Bem Sex-role Inve ntory. Results confirmed the hierarchical model of Fox and Corbin (198 9) and showed that physical self-worth is related to self-esteem, anxi ety, and masculinity.