Anxiety is one of the psychological disorders that can be destructive to personal growth. The study seeks to investigate whether exercising daily helps reduce anxiety. Two research questions will be used in the study: How long does it take for exercise to help with anxiety? What type of exercise is best to help reduce anxiety? From the research questions, two variables will be used: “exercise” and “anxiety.” The past studies will help in determining the measurement, validity and reliability, and feasibility of the variables.
Variable Measurement
Various scales of measurement can be used to measure the identified two variables. Ordinal scale help in measuring variables that can be ranked in a specific order such as from the largest to the smallest. “Exercise” can be ranked in an order of low to moderate to intense (Herbert et al., 2020). The Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is used in measuring “exercise” (). The scale runs from 0-10, with the numbers representing the intensity from “doing nothing at all” (0) to “very, very heavy exercise” (10). Meanwhile, “anxiety” will be measured using The Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS), which rates anxiety on a scale of 0-3 (Herdman et al., 2022). Therefore, “exercise” and “anxiety” will be ordinal measurements since they can be ordered in a particular manner.
Validity and Reliability Variables
Accuracy of research results is paramount in approving and disapproving hypotheses. Establishing data validity and reliability ensures that the collected data are sound and replicable. The adopted measurements of scales have a specific set of questions whose validity and reliability have been tested in past research. Validity in research involves how well the found results among the respondents represent the true findings among similar individuals outside the study. Meanwhile, reliability involves the consistency of the measuring method. The RPE scale is considered a valid and reliable scale of measure (Lea et al., 2021). Therefore, the variable “exercise” is valid and reliable for the study (Lea et al., 2021). Meanwhile, the PHQ-ADS scale is valid and reliable, according to research by Maroufizadeh et al. (2019). Therefore, the study variables are valid and reliable since the past studies have presented consistent results.
Consensus on Variable Measurement
Various studies have been conducted to determine the correlation between “exercise” and “anxiety”. The studies such as that conducted by Lea et al. (2021) and Maroufizadeh et al. (2019) show the RPE and PHQ-ADS scales of measurements are valid and reliable. Therefore, the information collected and measured using the scales present accurate results that are significant for studies. Therefore, there is a consensus that collecting data using the RPE and PHQ-ADS to measure the relationship between “exercise” and “anxiety” would lead to results that are similar to past studies: increased physical exercise reduces anxiety.
Study Feasibility
The use of RPE and PHQ-ADS measurement of scale involves answering simple answers by the respondents. The RPE has measures ranging from 0 (no exercise) to 10 (very, very heavy exercise). The participants will easily answer questions without any difficulties. Meanwhile, the PHQ-ADS involves answering simple questions that are observable from the participants. The respondents will, therefore, need less effort to provide answers. Therefore, the two measurements are feasible since they require few resources to gather data and calculate results.
References
Herbert, C., Meixner, F., Wiebking, C., & Gilg, V. (2020). Regular physical activity, short-term exercise, mental health, and well-being among university Students: The results of an online and a laboratory Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(509). Web.
Herdman, D., Picariello, F., & Moss-Morris, R. (2022). Validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS) in patients with dizziness. Otology & Neurotology, Publish Ahead of Print. Web.
Lea, J. W. D., O’Driscoll, J. M., Coleman, D. A., & Wiles, J. D. (2021). Validity and reliability of RPE as a measure of intensity during isometric wall squat exercise. Journal of Clinical and Translational Research, 7(2), pp. 248–256. Web.
Maroufizadeh, S., Omani-Samani, R., Almasi-Hashiani, A., Amini, P., & Sepidarkish, M. (2019). The reliability and validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and PHQ-2 in patients with infertility. Reproductive Health, 16(1). Web.