Flourishing in Young Adults: The Role of Achievement Goals, Participation Motivation, and Self-Perception Levels in Physical Activity Contexts

Zişan Kazak,Ayşe Meliha Canpolat,Marc Lochbaum

doi:10.3390/su13137450

Zişan Kazak, Ayşe Meliha Canpolat + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137450

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Abstract

This study aims to determine how achievement goals, participation motivation and self-perception levels in physical activity environments relate to the flourishing of young adults. The general purpose of the study was also to examine differences in selected variables of young adults flourishing in physical activity environments. To achieve our aims, the recruited sample consisted of 580 young adult exercisers ranging in age from 18 to 40 years from fitness centers in Izmir, Turkey. Participants completed a personal information form, the Flourishing Scale, the 2 × 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport (2 × 2 AGQ-S), the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS), and the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ). We examined correlations, regressions, and path models with our measured variables. Flourishing relates significantly (p < 0.001) and positively with global self-esteem, the mastery-approach goal, intrinsic motivation, and global physical self-concept. Our path model suggested that the mastery-approach goal, intrinsic motivation, and global self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between global physical self-concept and flourishing. Our findings help to inform alternative approaches for cultivating exercisers’ flourishing. However, knowledge on how to support and develop flourishing is still under-researched in sport and exercise settings.

Highlights

Accepted: 29 June 2021Positive psychology considers personal strengths and psychological resources as basic elements that contribute to well-being and flourishing [1]
Flourishing significantly to the mastery-approach goal, intrinvation, and self-perception levels in physical activity environments relate to young adult sic motivation, identified regulation, amotivation, global physical self-concept, and global self-rated flourishing
The results demonstrated, global self-esteem, mastery-approach, intrinsic motivation, and information in the literature shows that approach goal orientations are more adaptive than global physical self-concept [47]

Summary

Introduction

Positive psychology considers personal strengths and psychological resources as basic elements that contribute to well-being and flourishing [1]. In recent years, positive psychology focuses on a broader term of well-being, called as flourishing. Flourishing is a positive mental health construct regarding emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing [2] and a multidimensional index of well-being [3]. Flourishing is the combination of psychological and subjective well-being [4]. Fredrickson and Losada [5] have defined flourishing as within an optimal range of human functioning, one that connotes goodness, generativity, growth, and resilience. Flourishing individuals have excellent emotional health, enthusiasm for life, and engage actively and efficiently with other people and in society [6]. Low and moderate well-being is highly prevalent in the USA and Europe [7,8,9]

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