Group cohesion in older adult exercisers: Prediction and intervention effects

Two studies were conducted to examine the relationship between class cohesi on and exercise adherence in older adult exercisers. Study I examined the p redictive ability of four dimensions of cohesion on exercise participation at 1, 6, and 12 months following the initial assessment of cohesion. Study 2 examined the effectiveness of a team-building intervention, designed to e nhance class cohesion (and based on Study 1 results), on improving exercise adherence and return rates. Participants were assigned to a team-building, placebo, or control condition. Study 1 showed that three measures of cohes ion, Individual attractions to the group-social, Group integration-social, and Group integration-task, were all significantly related to exercise clas s attendance following a 1-month interval. Group integration-task was signi ficantly related to class attendance following a 6- and a 12-month interval . Study 2 showed that participants in the team-building condition (a) atten ded more classes than the control and placebo conditions and (b) had a high er return rare following a 10-week hiatus than the control condition. It wa s concluded that (a) class cohesion plays a significant role in exercise cl ass participation, both short- and long-term, and(b) samples of older adult exercisers are appropriate groups for interventions based on developing cl ass cohesion.