The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal profiles of sport motivation using a 3-wave design (beginning, middle, and end of the season) among a sample of 736 adolescent athletes involved in intensive training centers. The authors explored whether several subgroups of athletes representing distinct motivation profiles emerged from the analyses and whether athletes reporting various scores of satisfaction and thwarting of basic psychological needs (BPNS and BPNT) at time 1 (T1) belonged to distinct motivational profiles at T1, T2, and T3. Results of latent profile transition analyses showed 4 different profiles: highly self-determined, self-determined, moderate autonomous and controlled motivation, moderately self-determined (T1 and T2), and high autonomous and controlled motivation (T3) profiles. Moreover, the likelihood of belonging to particular profiles was significantly predicted by athletes’ BPNS and BPNT scores assessed at T1. Thus, a motivational profile approach may prove useful in ...

Purpose Some religions espouse doctrines that (in)directly impact physical activity (PA) behavior. Yet limited PA interventions have been tailored to religious minorities. Thus, a formative study was conducted to examine the effect of a faith-based pedometer program (Virtual Umra) on psychological correlates of PA behavior and their contribution to school-time changes in PA among Muslim adolescents. Method Forty-three (27 girls, 16 boys; M _age = 12.3 ± 1.0 years) students at 1 Islamic middle school participated. Prebaseline and postprogram enjoyment and motivation were measured using the shortened PA Enjoyment Scale and the Situational Motivation Scale, respectively. Pedometer step counts were measured daily during a 2-week baseline and 8 weeks of Virtual Umra. The Reliable Change Index and Cohen's d were used to analyze individual- and group-level changes in enjoyment and motivation, respectively. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (RM-MANOVA) was used to analyze program and gender effects over time. Partial correlations examined the relationships between psychological correlates and PA change. Results One third of the sample expressed greater enjoyment postprogram (p < .001, d = 0.99), while motivation was unaffected (p>.05; range, d = − 0.02 to 0.32). RM-MANOVA revealed that boys increased their steps, whereas girls reduced their step number through the program. Enjoyment increased and extrinsic motivation and amotivation decreased. Partial correlations revealed that enjoyment and more self-determined behavioral regulations were positively associated with non-physical education (PE)-day PA change; only intrinsic motivation was positively associated with PE-day PA change. Conclusion Virtual Umra was associated with increased enjoyment of PA but needs further modification to more positively impact girls' PA.

Parents have arguably a significant impact on athletes' experiences favoring mental health of elite adolescent athletes. However, parents can have negative effects in adopting regular pressure and directive behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between directive and pressure behaviors from mothers and fathers with athletes' burnout, positive and negative emotions, and motivation. Additionally, this study aimed to compare athletes' psychological variables exposed to higher versus lower frequencies of these parental behaviors. One hundred‐five girls and 114 boys semi and competitive elite athletes completed self‐reported questionnaires to measure mothers' and fathers' behaviors and athletes' motivation, emotions, and burnout indicators. Correlations and three separate multivariate analyses of covariance were conducted. Athletes' perceptions of parental pressure and directive behaviors were significantly (a) positively related to their anger ( r = 0.14 to 0.15), anxiety ( r = 0.14), controlled motivation ( r = 0.29 to 0.49), amotivation ( r = 0.20 to 0.44), and burnout ( r = 0.14 to 0.35) and (b) negatively related to their autonomous motivation ( r = −0.24 to −0.49). Moreover, significant differences in self‐perception were found between athletes exposed to lower versus higher frequencies of parental behaviors. Athletes who perceived a higher frequency of parental behaviors reported significantly greater level of burnout ( η ² = 0.02 to 0.04), controlled motivation ( η ² = 0.11), and amotivation ( η ² = 0.07). This study highlights the inappropriateness of directive and pressure behaviors and the value of measuring the frequency of use by both parents for the athletes' mental health.

(1) Background: Despite health benefits of engaging in regular physical activity (PA), adolescents fail to achieve the recommended PA practice (especially among girls with low socio-economic position). Researchers have been prompted to adopt models of social cognition to help identify the role of psychological factors in influencing PA and sedentary behaviors. Thus, this study examined the effects of an intervention promoting PA, reducing sedentary activity among adolescent girls from low-incomes communities, and explored the relationships between core constructs of salient theoretical frameworks (self-determination theory, theory of planned behavior, implicit and explicit attitude towards PA, and sedentary behaviors); (2) Methods: An intervention was delivered to 28 adolescent girls. They reported their scores on a variety of core psychological constructs grounded within the aforementioned theoretical frameworks as well as on several outcomes, such as objective PA (pedometers) and perceived mental and physical health. These scores were gathered both before and after the 8-weeks program; (3) Results: Results revealed changes on external regulation and implicit attitudes toward sedentary behaviors from before to after the program. However, objective PA behavior did not change; (4) Conclusions: Future studies are encouraged to further explore mechanisms of behavior change derived from integrated and socio-ecological theories.