Basic Psychological Needs in the Practice of Physical Exercise: Validation Study and Differences According to Sex and Age

Scientific literature has revealed that the practice of physical exercise improves basic psychological needs, which has a direct impact on the personal and mental health of individuals. The study examined the psychometric properties of the Basic Psychological Needs Measurement Scale in the Practice of Physical Exercise (BPNES). In the sample 500 adolescents participated ( M = 14.19; SD = 1.50). Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyzes were carried out with different groups. The results support a new re-specified model of three factors (autonomy, competence and relatedness). The data report a good fit of this new three-dimensional model (χ2/df = 1.804; CFI= .963; TLI = .952; GFI = .938; SRMR = .049; RMSEA = .049), with acceptable reliability ( α = .847; ω = .848) and association between factors moderate, direct and significant. It was also confirmed that the scale factors are invariant depending on sex. Finally, the results of the multivariate analysis carried out shows better basic psychological needs in males during their first adolescent phase. These findings highlight the empirical evidence of the BPNES scale to evaluate basic psychological needs in the practice of physical exercise during adolescence.