MAINTAINING ATTENDANCE AT A FITNESS CENTER - AN APPLICATION OF THE DECISION BALANCE-SHEET

The effect of a decision balance sheet intervention on attendance at a university fitness facility was examined. Facility members were rando mly assigned to control, placebo, and experimental conditions. The con trol condition received no intervention, whereas the placebo and exper imental conditions were called by telephone and asked to complete eith er an irrelevant (smoking) or relevant (exercising at the fitness faci lity) decision balance sheet. Attendance was monitored surreptitiously for 4 weeks baseline and 8 weeks post intervention. Statistical analy ses indicated that the control and placebo conditions showed a signifi cant decrease in attendance from baseline to intervention whereas thos e in the experimental condition maintained attendance levels. Discussi on focused on broadening the application of the decision balance sheet , determining its theoretical boundaries, and the necessity and approp riateness of decision alternatives for the decision balance sheet in t he exercise domain.