The relationships between motivation type and sport participation among students in a South African context

Abstract

Reasons for participation in sport differ and intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and even amotivation can influence the decision. In the South African context, little research has been done on the differences of motivation among male and female students to participate in sport. This study sought to understand the relationship between certain motivation drivers and sport participation. It also explored the gender variable and whether there are differences between male and female athletes in terms of their motivation for participating in sport. A non-probability sample was used and 199 respondents participated. Results indicate that there was a negative correlation between amotivation and sport participation. Furthermore, it was found that there is a positive correlation between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. A last finding is that there are no significant differences between the gender groups and their motivation for sport participation. It is trusted that these finding will contribute to the subject area of sport and more specifically the relative similarity of gender motivations for participating in sport. Key words: Sport participation, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, amotivation, gender, undergraduate students.