The relationship between perceived autonomy support, exercise regulations and behavioral intentions in women

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Abstract

Objectives: To examine Self-Determination Theory’s (SDT; Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, NY: Plenum Press) proposition that perceptions of autonomy support underpin different regulations that, in turn, predict behavioral intentions in the context of exercise. The specific hypothesis examined in this study was that greater perceptions of autonomy support will be positively associated with more autonomous exercise regulations, which subsequently, will predict greater intentions to continue with exercise for the next 4 months.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: Females (n=232) involved in a team-based intramural event sponsored by a large university completed a self-administered survey in small groups not exceeding 15 people. Participants ranged in age from 17 to 31 (M, 20.86 years; SD, 2.21) and reported healthy body mass index (BMI) values (M, 22.14 Kg/m2; SD, 2.33 Kg/m2).

Results: Bivariate correlations indicated that perceived autonomy support from friends was more favorably associated with identified and intrinsic regulations, an ordered pattern of relationships was evident among exercise regulations, and autonomous (identified and intrinsic) exercise regulations were more strongly correlated with greater intentions to exercise. Multivariate analysis using structural equation modeling supported a motivational model based on tenets of SDT that accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in identified (R2=0.32) and intrinsic (R2=0.33) exercise regulations and behavioral intentions (R2=0.49).

Conclusion: The motivational model proposed by SDT provides theoretically sound insights into the reasons why people intend to continue with exercise behavior, and allows for a meaningful analysis of motivational processes operating in the exercise domain.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants (n=232) were female students and staff enrolled in a team-based intramural physical activity event sponsored by a large Canadian university. They ranged in age from 17 to 31 (M=20.86 years; SD=2.21) and reported body mass index (BMI) values (M=22.14 Kg/m2; SD=2.33 Kg/m2) within the healthy range for this age cohort (American College of Sports Medicine, 1995). Participants indicated that they were exercising regularly (MMETS=53.79; SD=25.91) and at a level comparable with previous

Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations

Descriptive statistics (see Table 1) indicated that participants perceived their friends to be highly supportive of their exercise decisions and behaviors, endorsed autonomous regulations more strongly than either controlling regulations or amotivation, and were intent on exercising regularly over the next 4 months. These values are consistent with previous research that has examined the regulatory continuum in a physically active sample (Kowal and Fortier, 2000, Wilson, Rodgers and Fraser, 2002

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to examine SDT’s (Deci and Ryan, 1985, Ryan and Deci, 2000) proposition that social factors in the form of perceived autonomy support predict exercise regulations which, subsequently, exert a differential influence on behavioral intentions towards exercise. The results of this study make it apparent that perceived autonomy support from friends appears to underpin the tendency to endorse more autonomous exercise regulations which, in turn, are more strongly

Acknowledgements

Funding for this study was provided through a grant awarded to Dr. Wendy M. Rodgers by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The first author gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the University of Alberta through both the Izaak Walton Killam and Andrew Stewart Memorial Scholarships. Our sincerest appreciation is extended to Pierre Dickner and Brain Gratrix (both with Campus Recreation at the University of Alberta) and their ‘Ironwoman’ staff for the

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