Relationship between Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Discrepancies of the Self among college students in India

Routine physical activity has been shown to have a substantial impact on both physical and mental health. As an exploration of the psychological aspects of exercise and sports, the present study attempts to investigate the relationship between Leisure-time Physical Activity and Self-discrepancies. The self-discrepancies were measured with respect to the Big-Five Personality traits, by getting self-reports of Actual and Ideal selves. The Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ) and the Mini-IPIP scales were used to collect data from college students (N=166) in India, who belong to the streams of Art, Science, Commerce, and Social Work. The data obtained suggest that the amount of physical activity is significantly correlated with self-discrepancies in Neuroticism (r = -0.27) and Extraversion (r = -0.17). A significant negative relationship was also observed between Physical Activity and the Total Self-Discrepancy. The conclusion arrived at was that Physical Activity affects some aspects of our personality traits and that individuals who perform sufficient amount of physical activity on a regular basis are more likely to actualize selected aspects of their idealistic selves.