The Relationship between Psychological Needs, Self-Determined Motivation, Exercise Attitudes, and Physical Fitness

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between psychological need satisfaction (competence, autonomy, and relatedness), exercise regulations, and motivational consequences proposed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000). The secondary purpose was to explore changes in these constructs over the course of a 12-week prescribed exercise program. Results indicated competence and autonomy were positively correlated with more self-determined exercise regulations, which in turn were more positively related to exercise behavior, attitudes, and physical fitness. Multiple regression analyses revealed that exercise behavior mediated the relationship between self-determined motives and physical fitness, and both identified and intrinsic exercise regulations contributed significantly to the prediction of attitudes. Paired-sample t tests supported modest to large changes in need satisfaction constructs, as well as identified and intrinsic regulations over the 12-week exercise program. These results suggest that SDT is a useful framework for studying motivational issues in the exercise domain.