Effects of analogy and explicit instructional strategies on affective responses during lifting tasks among novice exercisers

Abstract The instruction given before a lifting task could modulate the affective responses of the participants in a training program. This study aimed to analyze the effects of two types of instruction—analogy and explicit—on the affective responses of novice exercisers during lifting tasks. Twenty-one subjects participated in the present study. A crossover design was employed, in which all participants experienced both instructional conditions in a randomized within-subjects approach. Instruction was provided before performing each lifting task. On day 1, familiarization was done about questionnaires and tasks. On days 2 and 3, participants performed the lifting tasks under their assigned instructional condition, with counterbalanced order. Affective responses such as preferences, self-efficacy, and feeling scale were assessed after the lifting task. Participants equally preferred analogy and explicit instruction. Nonetheless, in those participants who preferred analogy instruction, the force applied was reduced. Self-efficacy improved with both instructions ( p < 0.001), while the feeling scale showed no significant effects ( p = 0.157). In conclusion, both instructions enhanced self-efficacy, but only analogy instruction reduced force production. Providing instruction during exercise enhances the overall experience, particularly for novice participants, by offering guidance and increasing confidence.