Testing the moderating role of social physique anxiety in the relationship between psychological need satisfaction and motivation in high school physical education

Abstract

Self-conscious emotions concerning the body, such as social physique anxiety (SPA), may promote more controlling forms of motivation (i.e., introjected and external regulations; Brunet & Sabiston, 2009; Thogersen-Ntoumani & Ntoumanis, 2006). Self-determination theory perspectives (Deci & Ryan, 2001) suggest SPA may hinder fulfillment of basic psychological needs (i.e., feelings of competence, autonomy and relatedness). However, weak relationships from SPA to these basic needs and motivation (e.g., Brunet & Sabiston, 2009), suggest a more complex relationship among these variables. The purpose of this study was to test whether SPA interacts with perceptions of competence, autonomy and relatedness to predict motivation regulations (i.e., autonomous motivation, introjected and external regulations, amotivation) in a physical activity setting. It was hypothesized that higher SPA paired with lower perceived competence, autonomy and/or relatedness would predict greater introjected and external regulations and less autonomous motivation. Students (N = 298, n = 177 females) in grades 9-12 (Mage = 15.72 years) completed a survey measuring study variables during their physical education class. Based on results of hierarchical regression analyses, all three needs were positive predictors of autonomous motivation (R2=.47) and negative predictors of amotivation (R2=.29). SPA and perceived autonomy both negatively predicted external regulation (R2=.08).The only significant interaction to emerge was between SPA and perceived competence predicting introjected regulation. The relationship between SPA and introjected regulation may partly depend on how competent individuals feel in a physical activity setting, however, the relationships among SPA, need fulfillment and motivation require further exploration.