Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Marathon running--Psychological aspects; Women runners;
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to begin to understand what motivates women to participate in marathons. Twenty-seven Caucasian women enrolled in the "Seminar in Fitness and Mental Health" at a Midwest university answered the questionnaire (Motivations of Marathoners Scale Questionnaire). After participants completed the questionnaire a focus group interview was conducted with six participants. The Motivations of Marathoners Questionnaire was used to identify the participants' motives to run a marathon. The questionnaire contained 56 items distributed across nine scales. The scales included the following areas: health orientation, weight concern, self-esteem, life meaning, psychological coping, affiliation, recognition, competition, and personal goal achievement. SPSS was used to develop a frequency distribution. Group mean and standard deviation scores were tabulated. The focus group interview was taped and tapes were transcribed verbatim. Margin coding and modified constant comparative analysis were used to organize the data. Member checks were also used to strengthen the validity of the qualitative data. This descriptive study showed that marathon running could be a context for self-discovery and self awareness. Through the training process, participants negotiated their understanding of themselves relative to marathon running. Furthermore, the study showed that the women's behavior may have influenced their motivation toward training and participating in a marathon. Participants initially chose to run because they wanted to increase their self-esteem, but then they internalized their desire to run because of their behavior (continued running). The study also showed that running was a means to overcome obstacles and accomplish life goals, an activity done for oneself, a necessity of life rather than exercise, and running may or may not be a form of leisure.
Year of Submission
1998
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services
First Advisor
Beth D. Kivel
Second Advisor
Donald G. DeGraaf
Third Advisor
Dave A. Whitsett
Date Original
1998
Object Description
1 PDF file (107 leaves)
Copyright
©1998 Michelle Roland
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Roland, Michelle, "An Investigation of Women’s Motivational Factors to Run a Marathon" (1998). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1841.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1841
Comments
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