Physical inacitivy is considered a global health concern. While stress is often negatively associated with physical activity, findings across studies remain inconsistent. One explanation for these inconsistencies may lie in affective biases in the recall of physical actviivty, potentially influenced by individuals’ affective state at the time of reporting. Through the lens of the Affective Gradient Hypothesis, such biases may not only influence reports on physical activity but may also affect future physical activity behaviour. 

This cross-sectional study tested a moderated mediation model in which perceived stres was hypothesised to reduce physical activity via physical actvitvity enjoyment, with positive affect at the time of reporting moderating this indirect effect. Data were collected through an online survey, and the final analysis included the responses from 203 participants. While no support was found for the hypothesised moderated mediation, the results did indicate that affective state at the time of recall may influence how individuals recall and report their physical activity.