Development and validation of the Value of Physical Effort (VoPE) scale

Physical effort has instrumental value because it helps people attain their goals. Growing evidence suggests that people might also experience the exertion of effort itself as valuable. To test this idea, we developed and examined the 4-item Value of Physical Effort (VoPE) scale. Across three independent studies (total N = 1364), we established the basic psychometric properties of the VoPE scale and showed consistent associations with measures of sports and exercise behavior. In a study with a longitudinal design, the VoPE scale demonstrated test-retest reliability and forecasted physical activity and exercise behavior. Psychometric network analysis and elastic net regression suggest the VoPE scale’s potential to cover a unique content area and make novel contributions to the prediction of sports behavior. Taken together, the present research yields empirical evidence for the idea that people value physical effort to varying degrees, and that these differences can be efficiently measured with the VoPE scale. We demonstrated reliability and validity of the VoPE scale across three datasets and its ability to predict self-reported sports and exercise behavior. The VoPE scale might thus extend our understanding of how people allocate (physical) effort.