Need Satisfaction and Need Thwarting in Physical Education and Intention to be Physically Active

Juan Gregorio Fernández-Bustos,David González-Cutre,Andrea Hernández-Martínez,Ricardo Cuevas-Campos

doi:10.3390/su12187312

Juan Gregorio Fernández-Bustos, David González-Cutre + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187312

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate a theoretical model for analyzing the influence of need satisfaction, need thwarting, motivation, enjoyment, boredom, and exhaustion in physical education on the intention to be physically active. In addition, we examined the mediation effect of motivation between basic psychological needs and the intention to be physically active. The study was based on self-determination theory. To achieve this, 480 students between 12 and 18 years old filled out a questionnaire to measure the satisfaction and thwarting of basic psychological needs, motivation, enjoyment, boredom, exhaustion, and intention to be physically active. The results of path analysis showed the relevance of the satisfaction of the need for competence in physical education in order to increase self-determined motivation, enjoyment, and intention to be physically active. Additionally, intention was positively predicted by enjoyment and negatively predicted by exhaustion. Need thwarting directly predicted negative consequences, such as boredom and exhaustion. Motivation mediated the relationship between basic needs and intention to be physically active. These data highlight the importance of considering basic psychological need thwarting in studies on the promotion of physical activity.

Highlights

According to the World Health Organization [1], the regular practice of physical activity is associated with extensive health benefits, especially during adolescence [2]
Recent studies (e.g., [11,12]) have shown the usefulness of self-determination theory (SDT) [13,14] in explaining the reasons for physical activity to be planned in the future
From the highest to the lowest degree of self-determination, we can find various levels of regulation, such as: intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation

Summary

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization [1], the regular practice of physical activity is associated with extensive health benefits, especially during adolescence [2]. Rivera, Moreno, and Jimenez-Iglesias [3] found an increase in sedentary behaviour and lower levels of perceived health from a lack of physical activity in adolescents. For this reason, physical education (PE), understood in this case as physical education provided in compulsory education, can be fundamental for the promotion of physical activity and healthy habits among young people [4,5,6]. Recent studies (e.g., [11,12]) have shown the usefulness of self-determination theory (SDT) [13,14] in explaining the reasons for physical activity to be planned in the future. More self-determined forms of motivation predict both the intention to be physically active, and the actual behaviour [16,17]

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