Motivation for physical activity among athlets and recreational participants in Serbia

DOI:

Extrinsic motivation originates from external sources, such as rewards, or pressures from others, whereas intrinsic motivation is characterized by feelings of satisfaction and enjoyment derived from performing the activity itself, rather than from external incentives. Numerous studies emphasize that intrinsic motivation contributes to higher-quality engagement and autonomous development, while extrinsic motivation can serve as an important incentive, particularly when intrinsic motivation is absent or still developing (Nikolić Vesković, 2023).

Research has shown that there are gender and age related differences in motivation for physical exercise. Older participants tend to emphasize health and physical fit-ness, whereas younger individuals highlight personal goals and achievements as primary motives (Nikolaidis et al., 2019). Similar motivational patterns have been observed among young athletes in Serbia, where predominantly intrinsic motives prevail, including the satisfaction of personal needs, health, and achievement, while money, popularity, and entertainment are not primary motives (Bačanac et al., 2007). Dominant motive among young people, regardless of gender, is the acqui-sition of physical fitness, however, physical appearance ranks second among wo-men, while interest and enjoyment are more prominent among men (Vašičková et al., 2014). Women are more often motivated by physical appearance and social motives, whereas men more frequently report competence and physical fitness as key motives (Šimunić & Barać, 2011).

Studies employing the Motives for Physical Activities Measure–Revised (MPAM-R; Ryan et al., 1997) indicate that physical fitness is the most dominant motive regardless of gender, while among older participants’ physical fitness and health emerge as leading motives (Candace et al., 2021). Differences have also been identified between individual and team sports, with athletes engaged in team sports demonstrating stronger motives related to interest and enjoyment compared to those participating in individual sports (Jakobsen, 2014).

Motives for participation in physical activities change across the lifespan. Recreational exercisers primarily engage in physical activities to satisfy health-related and psychological needs such as physical condition, enjoyment, and well-being, rather than competitive motives, as shown in large population studies of leisure activity motivation (Elmose-Østerlund et al., 2023). In contrast, athletes tend to report stronger intrinsic motives related to enjoyment and mastery, while recreational exercisers often emphasize fitness and appearance motives (Kilpatrick et al., 2005).

There is a limited number of studies that directly compare the structure of motivation between athletes and recreational exercisers using a single, internationally validated instrument such as the MPAM-R. Most existing research focuses on the motivation of recreational exercisers (Duncan et al., 2010; Molanorouzi et al., 2015; Nikolaidis et al., 2019), motivation within specific team or individual sports (Jakobsen, 2014; Bačanac et al., 2007), or motivation in the context of particular competitions (Nikolaidis et al., 2019). Studies attempting to compare motives between athletes and recreational exercisers are scarce, and those available often employ different measurement instruments, which limits the possibility of direct comparisons (Frederick & Ryan, 1993).

Based on the above, the aim of this study was to examine the structure of motivation for engaging in physical activities among athletes and recreational exercisers, as well as to analyze gender differences and the relationship between motivation and participants’ age. An additional aim was to assess the reliability of the MPAM-R questionnaire in the studied sample. It is expected that the obtained results will contribute to a better understanding of motivational processes in sport and recreation and will be of significance for future research in the fields of physical culture and psychology.

Based on previous research and the theoretical framework of motivation in physical activity, the following hypotheses were formulated:

H1: Athletes will report higher levels of intrinsic motivation (interest/enjoyment and competence) and social motives compared to recre-ational exercisers.

H2: There will be gender differences in motivation for physical activity, with women reporting higher physical appearance and social motives, and men reporting higher competence and physical fitness motives.

H3: Age will be significantly associated with motivation, such that older participants will report stronger physical fitness motives, while younger parti-cipants will report stronger intrinsic motives.

H4: The MPAM-R questionnaire will demonstrate high internal consistency in the domestic sample.

Methods

Participants

The study was conducted on a sample of 175 participants from the Republic of Serbia who regularly engage in physical activities, including 78 athletes and 97 recreational exercisers. The sample comprised 70 men and 105 women. Participants’ age ranged from 16 to 67 years.

Athletes were participants who compete in individual or team sports, take part in official national championships or recognized leagues in Serbia, train five times per week, and are part of the organized sports system. Recreational exercisers engage in any form of physical activity at least three times per week, with each session lasting a minimum of 60 minutes.

The mean age of athletes was 22.26 ± 4.93 years, while the mean age of recreational exercisers was 32.94 ± 11.52 years. The mean age of male participants was 26.41 ± 8.90 years, while the mean age of female participants was 29.27 ± 12.04 years.

Participation in the study was anonymous and voluntary, and completion of the questionnaire required approximately 5 minutes. Prior to participation, all participants were informed about the purpose and objectives of the study.

Instrument

Motivation for engaging in physical activities was assessed using the Motives for Physical Activities Measure–Revised (MPAM-R; Ryan et al., 1997). The questionnaire consists of 30 items grouped into five subscales measuring specific categories of motives: interest/enjoyment (example: “Because it is fun”), competence (example: “Because I want to acquire new skills”), physical appearance (example: “Because I want to improve my appearance”), physical fitness (example: “Because I want to maintain my physical health and well-being”), and social motives (example: “Because I want to meet new people”).

All items are rated on a seven-point Likert-type scale (1 = does not apply to me at all, 7 = applies to me completely). Participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed with each statement. Scores were calculated as the mean of the responses to all items belonging to the respective subscale, with higher scores indicating higher levels of motivation. In addition to the motivation questionnaire, participants provided information regarding gender, age, and whether they engaged in physical activity at a recreational or competitive level.

The study was conducted using a questionnaire survey that was distributed to participants in electronic form. Data were collected during April and May 2024.

This questionnaire allows for the assessment of motivation in both athletes and recreational exercisers, of which competence and interest/enjoyment predominantly represent intrinsic motives, whereas physical fitness, physical appearance, and social motives are considered extrinsic.

Statistical Analysis

Prior to data analysis, mean scores were calculated for each subscale, corresponding to each motivational dimension assessed by the questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (Cronbach’s α). Normality of data distribution was assessed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. As the assumption of normality was not met, non-parametric statistical procedures were applied. Descriptive statistics were used to present the structure of motivation, including the arithmetic mean (Mean), standard deviation (SD), minimum (Min), and maximum (Max) values.

Differences in motivational dimensions between groups (athletes vs. recreational exercisers) and between genders (men vs. women) were examined using the Mann–Whitney U test.

The relationship between participants’ age and motivation was examined using Spearman’s rank-order correlation. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

Results