Flourishing, Affect, and Relative Autonomy in Adult Exercisers: A Within-Person Basic Psychological Need Fulfillment Perspective

Abstract

Flourishing is a construct used to understand human growth. Exercise psychology research is scant concerning this valuable construct. Hence, our purpose was to examine different levels of flourishing and related constructs within a large group of self-reported exercisers from a basic psychological need profile perspective. Participants were 389 female and 387 male adults attending fitness centers. Hierarchical cluster analyses revealed the presence of three clusters with significantly different psychological need profiles across the three basic needs. Separate multivariate analyses of variance were used for the analyses for our demographic variables and psychological variables. Follow-up post hoc tests showed that these clusters differed significantly and were low to moderate in meaningfulness regarding exercise min/week and sports experience. The clusters differed significantly, with moderate to large meaningfulness, in flourishing, positive affect, and relative autonomy. Self-reported exercise and sports participation were not the important cluster characteristics. Our results indicated that self-reported levels of flourishing, positive affect, and autonomy differ even within a large group of self-reported exercisers attending fitness centers that on average exceeded the weekly-recommended number of moderate-to-vigorous activity minutes. Thus, our results suggest the importance of fitness centers in meeting their participants’ three basic needs.

Profiles of Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Settings: An Examination of Differences in Contextual Motivation, Affect, and Achievement Goals

“…Similarly, Edmunds et al [49] reported that psychological need satisfaction negatively correlated with NA. Also, a study by Kazak Çetinkalp, and Lochbaum [39] indicated that levels of psychological need satisfaction in exercise settings are related to higher levels of PA and lower levels of NA. The link between greater satisfaction of SDT-based needs with enhanced PA and reduced NA in exercise settings was supported in a study by Wilson et al [52].…”

“…This scale consists of 19 items and five subcategories (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation) on a five-point scale ranging from 0 (not true for me) to 4 (very true for me). The BREQ-2 has been shown to have good factorial validity (e.g., [38,39]). In the present study, Cronbach’s α coefficients were 0.77 for intrinsic motivation, 0.60 for identified regulation, 0.75 for introjected regulation, 0.61 for external regulation, and 0.62 for amotivation.…”

Physical Exercise and Undergraduate Students’ Subjective Well-Being: Mediating Roles of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Sleep Quality

“…Self-determination theory proposes that all human beings are motivated by three basic psychological needs—the need for competence (effectiveness or capacities to achieve desired outcomes), autonomy (freedom and self-direction in activities), and relatedness (meaningful connection with others)—the satisfactions of which are of essential significance for individuals’ health and adaptation [ 18 ]. Indeed, the satisfaction of these basic psychological needs should stimulate intrinsic motivation and contribute to positive life outcomes, such as less depression, anxiety, and problem behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol, or drug use); higher self-esteem and quality of life; and more positive emotions [ 19 , 20 ]. Regarding well-being, its close and positive association with satisfaction of basic psychological needs has been confirmed across diverse participants [ 21 , 22 ].…”

“…The extent to which basic needs are satisfied is usually derived from the environment and individuals’ experiences, such as life events, social contexts, interpersonal relationships, and daily activities [ 18 ]. Self-determination theory (especially its points of view on psychological needs) has been applied to the field of physical exercise, with the aim of expounding the motivation to engage in physical exercise and its outcomes [ 20 , 23 , 24 ]. Empirical studies have found that regular participation in physical exercise is a primary way to satisfy the basic needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and that it can do so by providing a supportive environment that facilitates a sense of volition, optimal challenges, positive feedback, and a sense of belonging and acceptance.…”

Flourishing in Young Adults: The Role of Achievement Goals, Participation Motivation, and Self-Perception Levels in Physical Activity Contexts

“…In summary, we need more research to understand the antecedents of optimal functioning to enhance individuals' flourishing. To date, only Kazak and Lochbaum [36] carried out a study to explain whether the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs results in different psychological health indices (flourishing, positive and negative affect, and relative autonomy) in exercise contexts. There is not enough research focused on total well-being, known as flourishing in the sports setting.…”