Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Research in Psychology
Year: 2024
DOI:
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There’s No ‘I’ in Team: A Comparative Analysis of the Effects Individual Based Exercise and Group Based Exercise Have on Depression and Happiness
Harun Osman Dahir
ABSTRACT:
Exercise is an increasingly important area in the treatment of mental health. Research has established exercise as a significant method in improving mental health, however, little is known about the effect the type of exercise can have on mental health. Existing literature has often focused on a single type of exercise, leaving a gap in our understanding of the differences between exercises with regards to their effects on mental health. As such, the current study aims to investigate the effects individual exercise and group exercise have on depression and happiness. Using a between-groups design, the current study used 174 Coventry University students who volunteered to take part in the study. Participants were given three questionnaires as a means to establish their: exercise preference (individual or group exercise), depression score, and happiness score. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted using an independent samples t-test. Results found that participants who preferred group exercise reported significantly higher happiness scores compared to participants who preferred individual exercise; however, no significant difference in depression scores was found between participants who preferred individual exercise or group exercise. The findings of this study provide insight into the differences between group-based exercise and individual based exercise and their effect on depression and happiness. Implications for future research and how these findings can be applied are discussed.
keywords: Exercise, mental health, depression, happiness, group exercise, individual exercise