No abstract

No abstract

It is believed that the social connections formed by participating in physical activity-based positive youth development (PYD) programs contributes to building personal and social assets. In this study, we examined how changes in social connection over a physical activity-based PYD program for low-income youth were associated with changes in psychological outcomes. Participants (N = 197) completed pre- and postprogram questionnaires assessing leader support, social competence, physical competence, and psychological outcomes (global self-worth, physical self-worth, attraction to physical activity, and hope). Social competence, physical competence, physical self-worth, and global self-worth increased significantly over the 4-week program. Changes in social connections predicted changes in psychological outcomes. Effect sizes were modest but suggest that social interventions hold potential to promote positive outcomes in underserved youth.

According to self-determination theory, motivation is multidimensional, with motivation regulations lying along a continuum of self-determination (Ryan & Deci, 2007). Accounting for the different types of motivation in physical activity research presents a challenge. This study used cluster analysis to identify motivation regulation profiles and examined their utility by testing profile differences in relative levels of self-determination (i.e., self-determination index), and theoretical antecedents (i.e., competence, autonomy, relatedness) and consequences (i.e., enjoyment, worry, effort, value, physical activity) of physical education motivation. Students (N= 386) in 6th- through 8th-grade physical education classes completed questionnaires of the variables listed above. Five profiles emerged, including average (n = 81), motivated (n = 82), self-determined (n = 91), low motivation (n = 73), and external (n = 59). Group difference analyses showed that students with greater levels of self-determined forms of motivation, regardless of non-self-determined motivation levels, reported the most adaptive physical education experiences.