Effect of Situational Interest and Social Support on College Students’ Physical Activity Motivation: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Authors

  • Joseph O. Otundo University of Arkansas at Little Rock
  • Susan K. MacGregor Louisiana State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/TPE-2019-V76-I2-8502

Keywords:

Situational interest, social support, autonomy, competence

Abstract

Given the low levels of engagement in physical activity among young adults, this mixed methods study was designed to increase our understanding of the factors that influence their participation. Interest motivation theory provided the framework for examining the multi­dimensionality of situational interest as a component that is predictive of engagement in physical activity. College students enrolled in tennis classes at a large research university were recruited to participate in the research. A survey assessing the sources of situational interest was administered to 82 students, and eight students were interviewed so that we could obtain a deeper understanding of the quantitative results. A stepwise multiple regression model revealed four sources (enjoyment, novelty, exploration, and attention demand) that operated as predictors of total situational interest (r2 = .93). From the interpretive analysis of the interview data, three themes emerged (autonomy, competence, and social support). Given these findings, recommendations for modifying physical activity classes are provided.

Subscribe to TPE

Author Biographies

Joseph O. Otundo, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Joseph Otundo is an assistant professor of Health Education and Promotion in the school of Counseling, Human Performance, and Rehabilitation at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, AR, USA. 

Joseph's research is Motivational Constructs of Physical Activity, Health Education and physical Activity Pedagogy, and Green Exercise. Secondary research is glogal and cultural factors and health education and promotion.  

Susan K. MacGregor, Louisiana State University

Susan MacGregor is an associate professor in the school of Education. Susan coordinates the graduate program in Applied Research, Measurement and Evaluation.

Downloads

Published

2019-03-19

Issue

Vol. 76 No. 2 (2019)

Section

Articles

License

Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)

Journal Publishing Copyright Agreement for Authors

PLEASE REVIEW OUR POLICIES AND THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT, AND INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BY CHECKING THE ‘AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE’ CHECKBOX BELOW.

I understand that by submitting an article to The Physical Educator, I am granting the copyright to the article submitted for consideration for publication in The Physical Educator to the Copyright Owner. If after consideration of the Editor of the The Physical Educator, the article is not accepted for publication, all copyright covered under this agreement will be automatically returned to the Author(s).

THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT

Assignment of Copyright

I hereby assign to the Copyright Owner the copyright in the manuscript I am submitting in this online procedure and any tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript in all forms and media (whether now known or later developed), throughout the world, in all languages, for the full term of copyright, effective when the article is accepted for publication.

Reversion of Rights

Articles may sometimes be accepted for publication but later be rejected in the publication process, even in some cases after public posting in “Articles in Press” form, in which case all rights will revert to the Author.

Retention of Rights for Scholarly Purposes

I understand that I retain or am hereby granted the Retained Rights. The Retained Rights include the right to use the Preprint, Accepted Manuscript, and the Published Journal Article for Personal Use and Internal Institutional Use.

All journal material is under a 12 month embargo. Authors who would like to have their articles available as open access should contact Sagamore-Venture for further information.

In the case of the Accepted Manuscript and the Published Journal Article, the Retained Rights exclude Commercial Use, other than use by the author in a subsequent compilation of the author’s works or to extend the Article to book length form or re-use by the author of portions or excerpts in other works.

Published Journal Article: the author may share a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI.

Author Representations

  • The Article I have submitted to the journal for review is original, has been written by the stated author(s) and has not been published elsewhere.
  • The Article was not submitted for review to another journal while under review by this journal and will not be submitted to any other journal.
  • The Article contains no libelous or other unlawful statements and does not contain any materials that violate any personal or proprietary rights of any other person or entity.
  • I have obtained written permission from copyright owners for any excerpts from copyrighted works that are included and have credited the sources in the Article.
  • If the Article was prepared jointly with other authors, I have informed the co-author(s) of the terms of this Journal Publishing Agreement and that I am signing on their behalf as their agent, and I am authorized to do so.