The Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire: An instrument for the assessment of cohesion in exercise classes

The purpose of this study was to develop a cohesion inventory for exercise groups. Five projects were undertaken. In Projects 1 to 3, potential items were generated, content validity was established, and preliminary psychometric testing was carried out. In Project 4, concurrent validity was established. In Project 5, hypothesized relationship between cohesion and both adherence and self-efficacy were tested using older adult exercises (N = 60, average age = 68.9 years, SD = 6.1). Overall, the results of the 5 projects provided preliminary evidence of the utility of the Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire (PAGEQ) as a test of cohesion in exercise groups. The discussion centers on implications of the findings and the identification of future research necessary to continue the process of validation of the PAGEQ.