Predicting change in middle school students’ leisure-time physical activity participation : A prospective test of the trans-contextual model
Abstract
We applied the trans-contextual model (TCM) to examine the effects of middle school students’ perceived autonomy support from their physical education (PE) teachers on autonomous motivation toward PE in school and, critically, autonomous motivation toward, and actual participation in, leisure-time physical activity (PA). The research adopted a three-wave prospective design enabling the modeling of change in the TCM constructs over time. Middle school students (N = 248) aged from 12 to 16 years reported their perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation in PE, autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), intentions for PA in leisure-time, and leisure-time PA participation. The psychological constructs and leisure-time PA were measured at baseline (T0) and at a first follow-up occasion (T1) 5 weeks later. Another measure of PA was taken at a second follow-up occasion (T2) a further 5 weeks later. A single-indicator structural equation model using residualized change scores revealed that perceived autonomy support predicted autonomous motivation in PE (β = .345), and autonomous motivation in PE predicted autonomous motivation for leisure-time PA (β = .484). Autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA predicted attitudes (β = .425), subjective norms (β = .264), and PBC (β = .517). Autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA (β = .376), attitude (β = .231), and subjective norms (β = .185) predicted intentions toward leisure-time PA, and intentions predicted PA (β = .198). Findings extend research on the TCM by demonstrating its efficacy in predicting change in middle school students’ autonomous motivation across PE and leisure-time contexts, and accounting for change in intentions toward, and actual participation in, leisure-time PA.
Main Authors
Format
Articles
Research article
Published
2020
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202007035233Käytä tätä linkitykseen.
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0021-9029
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12691
Language
English
Published in
Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Citation
- Polet, J., Lintunen, T., Schneider, J., & Hagger, M. S. (2020). Predicting change in middle school students’ leisure-time physical activity participation : A prospective test of the trans-contextual model. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 50(9), 512-523. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12691
Funder(s)
Ministry of Education and Culture
TEKES
Funding program(s)
Others
Muut
Additional information about funding
This work was supported by a Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture (Grant No. OKM/62/626/2016). Martin S. Hagger's contribution was supported by a Finland Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro) award no. 1801/31/2015 from Business Finland.
Copyright© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Applied Social Psychology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC