Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

College students--Attitudes; College students--Recreation; Academic theses;

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine if differences existed in level of exercise enjoyment, motivation, and perceived athletic competence between college students that exercise using sport activities and college students that exercise using fitness activities. Data were collected from 188 college students from a midsize comprehensive university in the Midwest. The questionnaire was designed to tap enjoyment, motivation, perceived athletic competence, and amount of physical activity. The participants were divided into four groups according to their exercise habits: high sport/high fitness, high sport/low fitness, low sport/high fitness, and low sport/low fitness. A MANOV A test compared the four groups on perceived athletic competence, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and social motivation. An ANOV A test was used to compare the four groups on exercise enjoyment. Results revealed that college students who participated in high levels of sport and/or fitness activities had higher levels of exercise enjoyment, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and perceived athletic competence than those students who do not participate in high levels of exercise. Results also showed that fitness participants reported higher levels of extrinsic motivation than sport participants. In conclusion, individuals should engage in activities that they find enjoyable, motivating, and feel comfortable participating in order to increase and/or maintain healthy physical activity levels.

Year of Submission

2006

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services

First Advisor

Windee M. Weiss

Second Advisor

Mickey G. Mack

Third Advisor

Sue Joslyn

Comments

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Date Original

2006

Object Description

1 PDF file (62 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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