Children’s motivation profiles in sports and physical activities
A latent profile analysis and self-determination theory approach
Publication date
2022-04-22
Document type
Forschungsartikel
Author
Organisational unit
Publisher
Human Kinetics Publishers
Series or journal
Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology
ISSN
Periodical volume
44
Periodical issue
4
First page
251
Last page
262
Peer-reviewed
✅
Part of the university bibliography
✅
Language
English
Keyword
Behavioral regulation types
Physical self-concept
Physical performance
Abstract
Using latent profile analysis and self-determination theory, the present study aimed to examine younger children’s motivation profiles in sports and physical activities and the relations of those profiles to various predictors and achievement outcomes. A total of 1,116 German children from Grade 2 participated in this study. Latent-profile-analysis solutions based on five behavioral-regulation types covered in self-determination theory (i.e., intrinsic, identified, introjected, external, amotivation) were tested. Results favored a three-profile solution, showing three theoretically meaningful and distinct motivation profiles labeled “amotivated,” “non-self-determined,” and “self-determined.” Older children and children with a lower physical self-concept were more likely to be members of the amotivated profile relative to the other profiles than younger children and children with a higher physical self-concept. Furthermore, children of the self-determined profile demonstrated the best physical performance in various motor-skills tests.
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Published version
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