The Mediating Role of Passion in the Relationship of Exercise Motivational Regulations with Exercise Dependence Symptoms

Abstract

The present study examined the mediating role of obsessive passion in the relationship of introjected regulation to exercise with exercise dependence symptoms. A cross-sectional design was used. Questionnaires were administered in the context of private fitness centers and were completed before initiation of that day’s exercise activities. Using non-probability sampling, 549 regular Greek exercise participants, men and women (approximately 70 % response rate), aged 18 to 61 years, completed the questionnaires. The Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (Symons-Downs et al. 2004) was used to measure exercise dependence symptoms; the Passion Scale (Vallerand et al. 2003) was used to measure harmonious and obsessive passion for exercise; and the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (Markland and Tobin 2004) was used to measure types of behavioral regulations in exercise. Obsessive passion mediated the relationship between introjected regulation and exercise dependence symptoms (CFI = 0.91–0.95, RMSEA = 0.05-06). The present findings provided cross-sectional support to the mediating role of obsessive passion in the relationship of introjected regulation to exercise with exercise dependence symptoms.