•  
  •  
 

COMMON EXPERIENCES AND BELIEFS AMONG HIGHLY ACTIVE INDIVIDUALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION

Abstract

D. McMillian, A. Luong, A. Hall

University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

Despite robust informational campaigns in the USA to exhort greater physical activity (PA), the prevalence of physical inactivity has remained largely unchanged. PURPOSE: To identify and analyze motivational characteristics, fulfillment of psychological needs, and individual experiences and beliefs among highly-active, middle-aged adults. METHODS: The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS), and Motives for Physical Activities Measure Revised (MPAM-R) were used along with semi-structured interviews to elucidate the experiences and beliefs of the five participants (3 males, 2 females), ages 36-50 with a mean age of 45.8 (SD=5.97) years. They were all highly active, with a mean level of vigorous activity of 575 (SD=392.7) min/week. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate BPNSFS data for each psychological needs construct (Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness). Friedman’s two-way analysis of variance was used to compare means in the five groups of the MPAM-R. A post-hoc test with Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed for the MPAM-R data to identify a rank order in prioritization of motivational factors (Competence, Social, Interest/Enjoyment, Fitness, Appearance). The alpha-value was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The MPAM-R revealed highest motivational rankings for interest/enjoyment and competence, with both significantly higher than fitness (p=0.43), appearance(p=0.43), and social factors (p=0.39). The BPNSFS showed greater satisfaction than frustration in the competence (p=0.042) and relatedness (p=0.042) constructs, while there was no significant difference between satisfaction and frustration of the autonomy construct (p=0.68). Statements prioritizing competence were the most frequently mentioned during interviews, and all participants reported free play in childhood and adolescence. Fitness and appearance were the least frequently mentioned categories, suggesting low prioritization of extrinsic motivation. CONCLUSION: Interest/enjoyment and competence motivated the high levels of PA for our middle-aged participants who, additionally, reported greater levels of psychological satisfaction than frustration. This information might inform our approach to counseling individuals whose health would benefit from greater levels of PA.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS