Short report: moderations in exercise motivation – gender and age moderates the relations of motivation quality and exercise behavior

Karin Weman Josefsson,Urban Johnson,Magnus Lindwall

doi:10.1080/21642850.2018.1462706

Karin Weman Josefsson, Urban Johnson + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2018.1462706

Copy DOI

Abstract

ABSTRACTAimsSelf-determined motivation has been found to be an important predictor of exercise behavior. Findings on gender and age differences are however mixed and previous research has called for studies to examine gender and age as potential moderating factors as they might influence how motivation quality affects exercise behavior.MethodsEmbedded in a controlled trial of a digital intervention aiming to promote exercise motivation, this study examined specific (longitudinal) pathways related to motivation quality, psychological need satisfaction and exercise behavior within the self-determination theory (SDT) process model in a sample of 318 adult employees. The participants completed web-based versions of Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale, Behavioural Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-2, and Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire three times during a six weeks period.ResultsModeration analyses revealed significant gender and age differences in the associations of motivation quality, basic psychological needs and exercise behavior over time. Several paths in the SDT-process model, linking psychological needs and motivation quality to exercise behavior, were moderated by gender and age. The stipulated mechanisms between exercise, motivation and psychological need satisfaction in the SDT-process model revealed to be stronger for women than for men, and stronger for older adults than for younger and middle-aged adults. The effect of amotivation on exercise was also significantly moderated by age in the full sample, by positively predicting light exercise for younger adults.ConclusionsFuture recommendations are related to the examination of potential differences in opportunities of autonomy support in the social context based on factors such as gender and age, and also to further examine these factors as potential moderators instead of statistically controlling them as default.

Highlights

This short report describes a study that is part of a published controlled trial, building on the previous calls for further exploration of the potential moderating effects of gender and age within the field of exercise motivation (Fortier, Duda, Guérin, & Teixeira, 2012; Guérin, Bales, Fortier, & Sweet, 2012; Owen, Smith, & Lubans, 2014; Teixeira, Carraca, Markland, Silva, & Ryan, 2012)
It is suggested that when certain basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness are satisfied in an exercise context, the person is expected to internalize reasons to engage in the behavior and controlled motivations will thereby be internalized into more self-determined motivation
Gender was found to moderate the relationships between motivational regulations and exercise as well as between motivational regulations and psychological need satisfaction

Summary

Introduction

This short report describes a study that is part of a published controlled trial (see Weman Josefsson, Johnson, & Lindwall, 2016), building on the previous calls for further exploration of the potential moderating effects of gender and age within the field of exercise motivation (Fortier, Duda, Guérin, & Teixeira, 2012; Guérin, Bales, Fortier, & Sweet, 2012; Owen, Smith, & Lubans, 2014; Teixeira, Carraca, Markland, Silva, & Ryan, 2012). Previous findings on gender and age differences are mixed (Weman-Josefsson, Lindwall, & Ivarsson, 2015) and it would be an interesting avenue to extend current knowledge by examining how these potential moderators might influence the effect of motivation quality on exercise. Such knowledge may inform the application of uniform or segregated tailoring of exercise interventions. It is suggested that when certain basic psychological needs for competence (feeling capable), autonomy (feelings of choice and volition) and relatedness (feeling connected with others) are satisfied in an exercise context, the person is expected to internalize reasons to engage in the behavior and controlled motivations will thereby be internalized into more self-determined motivation. The relations between psychological need satisfaction, motivation quality and behavior are described in a process model (see Figure 1)

Methods

Results

Conclusion