College Men's and Women's Motives for Participation in Physical Activity

Abstract

The Attitude Toward Physical Activity Questionnaire was utilized to study the importance of nine dimensions (social experience, health and fitness, thrill and risk, beauty in movement, release of tension, prolonged and strenuous training, pursuit of victory, demonstration of ability, competition) in involvement in physical activity of 50 male and 50 female athletes and 100 nonathletes. Factor analyses of intercorrelations among the dimensions reduced these to three factors (competition, health and fitness, social experience). Mean factor scores showed that the total sample rated health and fitness as significantly more important than the other two as a motive for involvement in physical activity. A 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance showed a significant relationship between sex and skill and the factors. Further univariate analyses showed that men and women similarly rated health and fitness the most important, but women rated competition significantly lower and social experience significantly higher than men. Athletes differed significantly from nonathletes only in the assignment of higher scores to competition.

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