Towards an understanding of children's motivation for physical activity: Achievement goal orientations, beliefs about sport success, and sport emotion in zimbabwean children
- 1 November 1996
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Psychology & Health
- Vol. 12 (1), 49-55
- https://doi.org/10.1080/08870449608406921
Abstract
The study of children's physical activity motivation is important for public health promotion. However, more needs to be known about physical activity determinants across different groups and cultures. This study investigated the achievement goal orientations, beliefs about sport success and emotional feelings concerning sport in 159 children from Zimbabwe. The study was based on research conducted in the USA and England to test the replicability of findings across cultures. Results showed that children endorsing a task (self-referenced) orientation of sport success were more likely to believe that sport success was the result of effort rather than ability, whereas the reverse was true for those endorsing the normatively referenced ego (social comparative) goal. Children high in task orientation, either alone or in combination with a high ego orientation, were found to display the most motivationally adaptive profile. The results were very similar to those reported in the USA and England and highlight the importance of studying goal orientations in furthering understanding of children's physical activity and health.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- Perceived locus of causality, goal orientations, and perceived competence in school physical education classesBritish Journal of Educational Psychology, 1994
- Children's task and ego goal profiles in sportBritish Journal of Educational Psychology, 1994
- Achievement Goal Orientations and Intrinsic Motivation in Physical Fitness Testing with ChildrenPediatric Exercise Science, 1994
- 1993 C. H. McCloy Research Lecture: Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and HealthResearch Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 1993
- CHILDREN'S ACHIEVEMENT GOALS AND BELIEFS ABOUT SUCCESS IN SPORTBritish Journal of Educational Psychology, 1992
- Dimensions of achievement motivation in schoolwork and sport.Journal of Educational Psychology, 1992
- POST‐PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS' INTEREST IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION: AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCESBritish Journal of Educational Psychology, 1992
- ASSESSING STUDENTS THEORIES OF SUCCESS IN MATHEMATICS - INDIVIDUAL AND CLASSROOM DIFFERENCESJournal for Research in Mathematics Education, 1990
- An Attributional Theory of Motivation and EmotionPublished by Springer Science and Business Media LLC ,1986