Motivation Of Student Athletes: A Self Determination Theory Perspective

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine student athletes’ motivation toward sport participation, and to compare male and female student athletes’ motivation. METHODS: The sample consisted of 290 athletes (167 males, 123 females), university students of sport and physical education. In order to assess student athletes’ motivation, the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) was used (Pelletier et al. 1995, 2012, 2013). The scale consists of 28 items assigned to seven subscales: amotivation, extrinsic motivation (external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation), and intrinsic motivation (to know, to accomplish and to experience stimulation). Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were calculated. Cronbach's alpha was used to estimate reliability and internal consistency of the scales. In order to compare the mean values of the subscales (males and females), ANOVA with repeated measures was applied. The assumed significance level was set at α< .05. RESULTS: The Cronbach alpha values were high for all the subscales (SMS .87; AMS .90). Significant differences between males and females motivation toward sport participation were found for intrinsic motivation to accomplish (males M=5.71, SD=1.20; females M=6.24, SD=.82). There were no statically significant differences in amotivation (males M=2.32, SD=1.22; females M=2.08, SD=1.17), external regulation (males M=3.67, SD=1.50; females M=3.42, SD=1.48), introjected regulation (males M=5.48, SD=1.20; females M= 5.29, SD=1.23), identified regulation (males M=4.90, SD=1.17; females M=5.13, SD=1.09), intrinsic motivation to know (males M=5.38, SD=1.29; females M=5.80, SD=1.00), intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation (males M=5.94, SD=1.02; females M=6.21, SD=.75). CONCLUSIONS: Results revealed that female student athletes’ motivation toward sport participation showed higher levels of intrinsic motivation to accomplish than males. The mean values for amotivation subscale were significantly lower than for other subscales.