“I wouldn’t do it; it looks dangerous”: Changing students’ attitudes and emotions in physical education

The purpose of the study was to verify whether physical education (PE) acrobatic activities would be effective in modifying the individual’s tendency to undertake out-of-school leisure and adventurous sports typified by physical and psychological challenges. The Motor Activity Anxiety Test and pictures of adventurous sports were presented to Italian male high school students (N = 72) to assess their approach–avoidance attitude towards the activities portrayed. An emotion-profiling assessment grounded on the IZOF framework was also employed to identify idiosyncratic optimal-dysfunctional and pleasant–unpleasant emotional descriptors. Two experimental groups were engaged in highly emotion-arousing PE tasks for 12 lessons, while two control groups were involved in team sports. Findings demonstrated the effectiveness of the intervention in modifying the participants’ attitudes.