#Fitspiration? Comparing the Impact of Social Media Content on Exercise Motivation in Female College Students

Guided by self-determination theory, this study examined how encouraging compared with body-critical social media images influence exercise motivation, exercise intentions, and self-reported physical activity among college-aged female students. A cross-sectional, experimental survey design was used in which participants (198 female college students) viewed 10 encouraging and 10 critical social media stimuli presented in random order and rated each image’s motivational impact. Exercise motivation was assessed using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire–3, exercise intention with a single-item measure, and physical activity using the Physical Activity Vital Sign. Pearson correlations, paired-sample t tests, and independent-samples t tests were conducted. Participants found the positive social media images (M = [4.29], SD = [1.17]) significantly more personally motivating for exercise than the negative social media images (M = [3.29], SD = [1.44]), t([196]) = [4.68], p = [<.001]. When grouped based on social media motivation (i.e. positive/encouraging or negative/critical), those who were motivated based on negative/critical images reported (M = 7.60, SD = 2.42) significantly and slightly higher exercise motivation for the upcoming week when compared to those motivated by positive/encouraging images (M = 7.11, SD = 2.99); t(196) = 4.90, p = 0.03, d = 2.78. This study showed that negative, body-critical content may elicit short-term, controlled motivation and intentions, whereas positive content aligns with more autonomous motivational profiles. Neither content type was associated with higher exercise behavior, suggesting social media may influence intentions more readily than sustained exercise.