The study of the factors that may affect exercise adherence is warranted by the known

benefits of exercise on several facets of health. The self-determination theory (Deci &

Ryan, 1985) presents a rationale for the study of the motivational factors, in which the

satisfaction of the basic psychological needs (BPN) will lead to autonomous types of

motivation, resulting on better adherence and psychological well-being (PWB).

Furthermore, the exercise-affect connection is becoming an inevitable subject of study,

being incorporated as one of the fundamental pillars underpinning exercise prescription

guidelines (Ekkekakis, Hargreaves & Parfitt, 2013), becoming, as well, as an important

factor regarding adherence to exercise.

This study aimed at the analysis of the indirect effects of the quality of motivation on the

relation between need satisfaction and emotional response to exercise.

This cross-sectional study sample was comprised by 904 fitness club members (353

Male, 548 Women, average attendance M=3.32; DP=0,03). Participants fulfilled the

PNSE, BREQ-2, PANAS and SEES for the analysis of the basic psychological need

satisfaction, motivational regulations and emotional response to exercise, respectively.

The set of analysis addressed the mediating role of self-determination motivational

regulation in the relation of the satisfaction of psychological basic needs with a) the

positive and negative activation, and b) emotional response to exercise. The indirect

effect analysis followed the procedures set forward by Preacher and Hayes (2008).

Bivariate correlation analysis between psychological constructs were also made.

Analysis of the indirect effects of the quality of motivation on the relation between need satisfaction and emotional response to exercise

Teixeira, DS1, 2 & Palmeira, AL1, 3

1 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, ULHT, Portugal 2 Sport Sciences Department, ISCE, Portugal 3 CIPER, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

Study Framework

Objective

Results

Conclusions

Figure 1 – Competence is negatively associated with controlled types of motivation and

positively associated with autonomous types (both models). A positive indirect effect for

intrinsic motivation (both), external regulation (PWB) and amotivation (PA) was found.

Figure 2 – The same associations between competence, autonomous/controlled

types of motivation were observed. There is a negative indirect effect of the more

controlled types of motivation on PD. For NA, the negative indirect effect occurs only

in external regulation.

In this study we analyzed the mediation role of motivational regulations in the relationship of BPN and emotional response to exercise. The autonomous types of motivation

and the need satisfaction were positively associated with PWB and negatively with psychological distress (PD, all p<.05). No associations were found with fatigue. The

multiple mediation models showed that PWB was predicted by the needs satisfaction (26 to 29.2%). Therefore, the needs satisfaction increased intrinsic motivation and

decreased external regulation, which in turn increased PWB. The competence and autonomy models also predicted PD (21.4 to 20.8%). In these models a negative

indirect effect was found for amotivation and external regulation in which the needs satisfaction decreased amotivation and external regulation which in turn decreased PD.

The satisfaction of the basic psychological needs related to exercise in the context of gyms and health clubs predicts better exercise emotional experiences. This

association is partially explained by the increase in autonomous and decrease in controlled motivational regulations that the exerciser develops. These results warrant the

need to have exercise professionals that are knowledgeable of how to create need support contexts for the exerciser, in order to increase the adherence and psychological

well-being in the exercise settings.

BPN (Competence)

Positive Activation

Psyc. Well Being

Amotivation

External regulation

Introjected regulation

Intrinsic regulation

Identified regulation

Total: 0,56***; Direct: 0,44***

R2 = 25%**

R2 = 29%**

Total: 0,35***; Direct: 0,19*

Indirect: 0,12¥

Amotivation

BPN (Competence)

Negative Activation

Psyc. Distress

External regulation

Introjected regulation

Intrinsic regulation

Identified regulation

Total: -0,14***; Direct: -0,09***

R2 = 13%**

R2 = 21%**

Total: -0,1***; Direct: -0,06***

IV

M

DV

a b

c’

Mediation Analysis Process

Mediation hipotheses posits how, or

by what means, an independent

variable (IV) affects a dependent

variable (DV) through one or more

potential intervening variables or

mediators (M) (Preacher and

Hayes, 2008).

The design used in this study involves simultaneous mediation by Multiple Variables

or Multiple Mediation.

ECSS 2014, 19th Annual Congress, 2nd – 5th July, Amsterdam - The Netherlands

References: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum Ekkekakis, P., Hargreaves, E. a., & Parfitt, G. (2013). Invited Guest Editorial: Envisioning the next fifty years of research on the exercise–affect relationship. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(5), 751–758. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2013.04.007 Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behav Res Methods, 40(3), 879-891.

diogo.sts.teixeira@gmail.com

Methods

Indirect effect analysis of BPN,

motivational regulations and

emotional response to exercise

Indirect: 0,16¥

Indirect: -0,05¥

Indirect: -0,04¥

¥ – The 95% CI of the Bias and

Corrected and Accelerated estimate

indicate a significant indirect effect.

Positive ind. effect

Negative ind. effect

*p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001

Arrow – Significance