Development and Validation of the Goal Content for Exercise Questionnaire

Abstract

Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) proposes that intrinsic, relative to extrinsic, goal content is a critical predictor of the quality of an individual's behavior and psychological well-being. Through three studies, we developed and psychometrically tested a measure of intrinsic and extrinsic goal content in the exercise context: the Goal Content for Exercise Questionnaire (GCEQ). In adults, exploratory (N = 354; Study 1) and confirmatory factor analyses (N = 312; Study 2) supported a 20-item solution consisting of 5 lower order factors (i.e., social affiliation, health management, skill development, image and social recognition) that could be subsumed within a 2-factor higher order structure (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic). Evidence for external validity, temporal stability, gender invariance, and internal consistency of the GCEQ was found. An independent sample (N = 475; Study 3) provided further support for the lower order structure of the GCEQ and some support for the higher order structure. The GCEQ was supported as a measure of exercise-based goal content, which may help understand how intrinsic and extrinsic goals can motivate exercise behavior.

Validation of the Goal Content for Exercise Questionnaire (GCEQ) for a sample of elderly Portuguese people

“…In this sense, Sebire, Standage and Vansteenkiste (2008) suggested that it is the goal content (motives) that is the major impetus for the individuals' behaviour.…”

“…The goal content theory makes a distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic goals, as well as analysing its impact on motivation regulation and wellbeing (Sebire et al, 2008). According to the authors, the goals are then viewed according to the way they can provide satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and they have a differentiated impact on the individuals' wellbeing, taking into consideration their content (intrinsic or extrinsic).…”

“…The study of Sebire et al, (2008), which was developed and validated with a sample of 312 individuals, with ages ranging from 19 to 63 years old (M = 34.44; SD = 11.88), resorts to a confirmatory factorial analysis, of which the initial model (5 factors, 26 items) shows a good adjustment to the data. However, to improve the model, the authors decided to eliminate also the items that showed cross-loadings and being associated with multiple measurements errors.…”

“…Therefore, although there were instruments that assess the motives (goal content) for the practice of physical activity, the Goal Content for Exercise Questionnaire (GCEQ: Sebire et al, 2008) was developed based on the conceptual framework of SDT. The CGEQ aims to assess the importance that people place on their efforts and on the practice of physical activity.…”

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ABSTRACTAccording Sebire, Standage and Vansteenkiste (2008), goals contents (motives) are the major drivers of behavior, giving rise to the goal content theory, which is in the basis of Goal Content for Exercise Questionnaire (GCEQ: Sebire et al, 2008) development. So, the main goal of present study was to conduct the validation of GCEQ for a sample of Portuguese elderly (n = 311), with equal or higher ages than 60 years old (M = 68.53; DP = 6.69).

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