Commitment to Sport Changes Psychological Needs: A Study on Individuals Who Regularly Engage in Fitness

Abstract

It is as important to be able to continue sport as it is to start sport. In some sports branches, not practicing sports may cause some psychological problems. For this reason, this study aims to explain what changes individuals who train 3 days a week for at least 12 months in bodybuilding centers feel when they disrupt their training program and to show the relationship between their psychological needs in sports and their commitment to sports. The sample group of the study, in which quantitative and qualitative research model was used, consisted of 249 people (66 female, 183 male) who participated in sports for body development. Personal information form, open-ended questionnaire, sport psychological needs scale and sport commitment scale were used for the research. Content analysis was used in the qualitative data analysis of the study. Linear regression and Pearson correlation analysis were used for quantitative data analysis. The results of the qualitative data study show that the participants have positive emotions when they exercise and negative emotions when they do not exercise. The examination of quantitative data revealed that there was a positive weak relationship between psychological needs and sport addiction of the research group. In the study, it was concluded that the participant group enjoyed life, felt more talented, and were happy when they practiced sports, while when they did not spend time on sports, they felt a lack of time in their lives and experienced a sense of dissatisfaction. Keywords: Fitness, Commitment to sport, psychological needs in sport, chronic exercise