Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study aimed to develop a measure of recording-related discomfort associated with the presence of cameras, smartphones, wearables, and social media technologies in exercise settings. As gyms and fitness centers are gradually digitalizing, their physical environments are also becoming places where these technologies converge. The change itself may be subtle, but it may have implications for how uncomfortable, anxious, or concerned about privacy individuals feel when recording takes place while exercising. In the study, the pilot sample consisted of 75 participants, while the main research sample consisted of 275 volunteer participants exercising at fitness centers on the European side of Istanbul. This quantitative research employed a scale-development design. Scale development began with a literature review. An item pool of 41 items was created. Taking expert opinions into account, the number was reduced to 32 items, and successive exploratory analyses and conceptual item review during the pilot stage produced 23-item and 13-item forms before the final 7-item scale was established. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity were used to assess factorability. The KMO value was 0.863, and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity was statistically significant, indicating that factor analysis could be performed. EFA of the 7-item version of the scale yielded a one-factor structure explaining 47.6% of the variance, with item factor loadings ranging from .569 to .971. Internal consistency estimates (Cronbach's alpha = .832; McDonald's omega = .836) were good, considering the limited number of items in the scale. The CFA results indicated that the model fit the data adequately. Overall, the psychometric properties of the Recording-Related Discomfort in Exercise Environments Scale indicate that it is a reliable tool with preliminary evidence of factorial validity for measuring recording-related discomfort in physical activity contexts.
DOI: 10.47778/ejsse.167
Institutions: İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi, Haliç University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7214518243