The relationship between self-determined motivation, emotional involvement, cognitive involvement and leisure-time physical activity among college students

ObjectiveGrounded in self-determination theory and the stimulus-organism-response model, this study examines factors that affect college students' leisure-time physical activity by considering the basic psychological needs satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), self-determination motivation, emotional and cognitive involvement.MethodsThe sample included 526 students (47.8% male; 57.2% female) from four universities in central China. A structural equation model was used to analyze associations among variables.ResultsThe satisfaction of all three basic psychological needs had a significant positive impact on emotional involvement. Additionally, autonomy and competence need satisfaction had a significant positive impact on self-determination motivation and cognitive involvement. However, contrary to our expectation, there was no significant effect of relatedness needs on self-determination motivation and cognitive involvement. Furthermore, emotional involvement was found to have a significant effect on leisure-time physical activity intention for male students. Interestingly, the relationship between cognitive involvement and leisure-time physical activity intention is significant, but this effect was observed only among female students.ConclusionPedagogical strategies and tactics better satisfied students' psychological needs, promote physical education classes emotional and cognitive involvement, therefore, achieve autonomous active lifestyle behaviors in leisure time.