The Dark Side of Motivational Practices in Exercise Professionals: Mediators of Controlling Strategies

Abstract

According to the Self-Determination Theory, perceived job pressures can coerce professionals to develop more controlled motivations towards their work, and consequently increase the probability of using controlling motivational strategies. This study sought to analyze work-related motivations as mediators between two types of perceived job pressures: organizational constraints and perceptions of clients’ controlled motivation and the use of controlling motivational strategies by exercise professionals. Using a cross-sectional design, involving 366 exercise professionals (172 women), mediation paths were assessed following Preacher and Hayes statistical procedures. Models were adjusted for gender, work experience (years), and the internal tendency to feel events as pressuring. Organizational constraints were associated with lower autonomous motivation for work and the use of controlling strategies. Perceptions of clients’ controlled motivation were associated with work-related amotivation and the use of controlling strategies. Amotivation mediated the association between organizational constraints and controlling strategies. Overall, results support theoretical predictions and previous research, extending it to the exercise domain, highlighting the interplay between job pressures, work-related motivations, and the use of controlling strategies. The understanding of what influences exercise professionals’ motivation, and consequently the motivational strategies they use, is of paramount importance for exercise promotion and the benefit of those who seek their expert guidance.

The Development and Validation of the Health Behavior Motivation Scale

“…According to the researchers (Williams et al, 1996;Chrupała-Pniak and Grabowski, 2016) the main difference between external and introjected regulation is that in the former case, the pressure is external, whereas in the latter case, it comes from within. The results obtained in our study are not only consistent with SDT assumptions but are also in line with the results of other studies (Raposo et al, 2020) showing the relationships, between the regulatory styles and variables related to perceived pressure. Also, positive correlations between the different types of ideal appearance pressures exerted by family, media and peers with amotivation and introjected and external regulation confirm the theoretical validity of the HBMS.…”

“…Motivation strength was expected to be negatively related to amotivation, and positively related to autonomous forms of motivational regulation (Deci and Ryan, 2000) (H4). Based on SDT theory and literature reports (De Charms, 1968;Nicholls, 1984;Williams et al, 1996;Deci and Ryan, 2000;Chrupała-Pniak and Grabowski, 2016;Raposo et al, 2020) we expected that different types of ideal appearance pressures exerted by family, media and peers will be positively correlated with controlled forms of motivational regulation (external regulation, introjected) and amotivation (H5) Based on literature reports (Williams et al, 1998;Levesque et al, 2007;Vallerand et al, 2008;Juczyński, 2012), we also expected that the positive evaluation of fitness and health, as well as orientation to these aspects of the physical self in the MBRSQ will be positively correlated with the autonomous forms of motivational regulation (intrinsic, integrated and identified regulation) and negatively with external regulation and amotivation. Moreover, positive associations were expected between health and fitness orientation and introjected regulation (Williams et al, 1998;Levesque et al, 2007) (H6).…”

Experiência profissional e formação académica dos profissionais de exercício físico: relação das pressões no trabalho com as necessidades psicológicas básicas no contexto laboral

“…Este facto é de grande relevância para os PE, que desejam motivar os outros de uma forma que promova compromisso, esforço, bem como desempenho de alta qualidade (Raposo et al, 2020;Ryan & Deci, 2000;Silva et al, 2017).…”

“…Este constructo já foi aplicado em contexto de ensino, onde se destaca a importância dos padrões de interação entre o sistema escolar e o professor. Enquadramento similar também foi aplicado no setor do fitness, visto serem contextos profissionais, com funções similares, de ensino e promoção da AF e do exercício, apoiada em qualidades pedagógicas, relacionais e técnicas (Campos et al, 2017;Raposo et al, 2020;Silva et al, 2017) e respetiva interação com os quadros de gestão.…”

“…Independentemente do contexto, a importância de reconhecer as NPB como um mecanismo psicológico, que explica como e porque o clima social tem implicações na motivação do trabalho, é determinante para a gestão da pressão (Olafsen et al, 2018;Taylor et al, 2009). Tal facto verifica-se também no contexto do treino (Bentzen et al, 2014) e do fitness (Raposo et al, 2020;Silva et al, 2017) O facto de os PE operarem em exigentes condições de mercado, estando sujeitos a uma regulamentação detalhada e monotorização das suas práticas diárias de trabalho, poderá implicar níveis elevados de pressão. Da mesma forma, a conciliação entre a vida profissional e pessoal, é uma fonte de pressão, decorrente do cansaço que advém de uma atividade profissional de grande desgaste físico, psicológico e do exigente horário de trabalho (De Lyon et al, 2017;Rosado et al, 2014).…”