Physique anxiety and self-efficacy influences on perceptions of physical evaluation

The present study integrated concepts from social cognitive and self-presen tational theories to determine the relationships among social physique anxi ety, self-efficacy and outcome expectations, and state anxiety in situation s of varying physical evaluation potential. These situations included scena rios considered to be high in physical evaluation, low in physical evaluati on, and an exercise condition scenario, considered as high and low in physi cal evaluation by different individuals. Results demonstrated that the high est levels of state anxiety were found in the high physical evaluation/thre at conditions and the lowest levels of anxiety were reported in the low phy sical evaluation/threat conditions. Additionally, the results demonstrated that being female and higher in physique anxiety resulted in greater self-r eported state anxiety when encountering a physically evaluative condition o f high threat potential. In exercise conditions, it was found that more eff icacious individuals reported less state anxiety, however, in low physical evaluation conditions none of the variables predicted state anxiety. Result s are discussed in terms of the integration of concepts from the social cog nitive perspective and self-presentation theory and social physique anxiety as a dispositional quality.