Abstract
Adolescent girls are at-risk for declining physical activity (PA) and increased rates of overweight and obesity (Knisel et al., 2009). Identifying factors that might explain why adolescent girls are less likely to be active compared to male peers is an important research agenda (Biddle et al., 2005). Based on the Basic Needs Theory, a sub-component of the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), the satisfaction of the psychological needs of competence, relatedness, and autonomy results in greater intrinsic motivation for PA and subsequently higher levels of PA, more persistence and effort. To date, there is little research evidence of the contextual differences in the satisfaction of the psychological needs for PA. This study explored adolescent girls' perceptions of need satisfaction in the different PA contexts of physical education, organized sport or exercise, and leisure time. Ten girls (Aged 12 to 17 years) volunteered for individual interviews focused on understanding need satisfaction in the PA contexts. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and were subjected to content analysis. The themes of: Activity Preference, Barriers to PA, Sedentary Activities, Social Influence, Skill Acquisition, and Control were identified. Common perceptions included a preference for all-girls physical education classes due to a difference in competitive attitude between male and female participants; a desire to have the content of structured activities pre-determined by instructors; and, a strong desire to be involved in physical activities that emphasized group cohesion. Results of this study provide insight into the intrapersonal, environmental, and social factors that influence adolescent girls' activity levels.
