Association between Extraversion and Exercise Performance among Elderly Persons Receiving a Videogame Intervention

Objective: We examined the effects of an exergame intervention on exercise performance, as well as the influence of players' personality traits on the effects of the intervention. Materials and Methods: In total, 16 elderly persons (>65 years old) participated in the study for 12 weeks. Participants were required to complete the Big Five Scale. We measured the number of times that the sit-to-stand exercise was performed during the interventions with and without exergames. Results: We compared the average number of times that the sit-to-stand exercise was performed per day in each of the two conditions. The average number of times that exercise was undertaken with exergame use was greater than that without exergame use; however, no significant difference was found. The difference between the average number of times that exercise occurred with and without exergame use was positively correlated with neuroticism, negatively correlated with extraversion, and not associated with conscientiousness. Conclusions: The intervention comprising the use of exergames has a positive motivational influence among less extraverted elderly persons.