Eastern Kentucky University Encompass Online Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship January 2015 The Relationship Between Personality Type And Exercise Motivation Kayla Michelle Bowman Eastern Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: https://encompass.eku.edu/etd Part of the Cognitive Psychology Commons, and the Exercise Science Commons Recommended Citation Bowman, Kayla Michelle, "The Relationship Between Personality Type And Exercise Motivation" (2015) Online Theses and Dissertations 343 https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/343 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Encompass It has been accepted for inclusion in Online Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Encompass For more information, please contact Linda.Sizemore@eku.edu THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TYPE AND EXERCISE MOTIVATION By Kayla Bowman Master of Science Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky 2015 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Eastern Kentucky University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE December, 2015 Copyright © Kayla Bowman, 2015 All rights reserved ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my husband, Nick Bowman, and Mom, Rhonda Loop, for their unwavering support in everything I iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr Jim Larkin, for his guidance and patience He spent many hours helping me, from planning out the process of the thesis to editing many versions of each chapter His expertise was meaningful from start to finish I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr Jonathan Gore and Dr Michael Lane, for their expertise The assistance they provided was very helpful and significant to the success of this thesis I would like to express thanks to my Mom, Rhonda Loop This achievement was a direct result of her hard work and sacrifice to provide me the opportunity to pursue my college education I would also like to express thanks to my husband, Nick His support and encouragement helped me to stay the path in pursuing this achievement iv ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide further understanding of the complex nature of physical activity motivation Specifically, the purpose of this study was to analyze personality type and internal/external autonomous regulation Method: Subjects were college students age 18 years and older who attended the Fitness Five Project Data collected from the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and the RM 4-FM: Motivation for Physical Activity Questionnaire were analyzed using a bivariate correlation Results: Statistical analyses revealed the personality traits extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were positively associated with intrinsic motivation Results showed the personality trait openness to experience was negatively associated with intrinsic motivation Summary: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are both important for different reasons It is clear from current and past research that extrinsic motivation would benefit the adoption of a new activity and intrinsic motivation would benefit the consistency and adherence to the activity v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………… Need for the Study …………………………………………………………………………………… Purpose …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Assumptions ……………………………………………………………………………………………….3 Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 Delimitations ………………………………………………………………………………………………4 Limitations ………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Definition of Terms …………………………………………………………………… II REVIEW OF LITERATURE Motivation ….………………………… ………………………………………………………………….7 Self-Determination Theory ………………………………………………………………………….9 Autonomous Regulation …………………………………………………………………………….11 Personality …………………………………………………………………………………………………12 III METHOD……………………………………………………………………….………………………… 14 Subjects ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …14 Surveys ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ….14 Procedure …………………………………………………………………………………………… … 15 Statistical Treatment of Data ……………………………………………………………… ……15 IV RESULTS…………………………….……………………………………………………………….………16 V DISCUSSION…………………………………….……………………………………………….…………20 LIST OF REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………………………23 APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26 A Personality Survey…………………………………………………………………………………26 B Physical Activity Survey……………………………………………………… ……………….28 vi CHAPTER INTRODUCTION This study will examine the relationship between personality type and physical activity motivation According to Bales (1970), personality relates to human behavior It can affect many different things, including how one reacts and handles various situations A person’s collection of personality traits can equip them to be better suited for success in employment, relationships and overall happiness This study will address whether or not personality type has a consequential connection with physical activity motivation Need for the Study A number of researchers have acknowledged inconsistencies in the correlation between physical activity and personality type and have called for further exploration of this relationship (Vollrath & Torgersen, 2002) Davies, Mummery, and Steele (2010) found that conscientiousness, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and intention were positively related to physical activity behavior and intention Though this finding is helpful in its relation to one personality trait, it does not include multiple personality traits Motivation to exercise is different for each individual and can be affected by many different factors The frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise could be a factor in predicting motivation or amotivation According to Duncan, Hall, Wilson, and The RM 4-FM: Motivation for Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to survey physical activity motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2004) This 16-item questionnaire addressed the participants’ motivation to exercise Participants indicated their reasons for exercising by using a 7-item rating scale ranging from ‘not at all true’, to ‘somewhat true’, to ‘very true.’ The data provided a score for the following areas: external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and intrinsic motivation These scores indicated whether the participants were extrinsically or intrinsically motivated to exercise Procedure These two assessments, the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and the RM 4-FM: Motivation for Physical Activity Questionnaire, were administered during the Fitness Five Project at a southern university These paper surveys were given at a table first before all the other fitness tests had been initiated Statistical Treatment of Data The data from the surveys were scored manually using paper and pencil After each survey was scored, the results were typed into an Excel file to be organized and appropriated into columns The data were then transferred to Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) to be analyzed statistically for correlations between personality traits and motivational type A bivariate correlation was used to conduct an analysis of the data 15 CHAPTER RESULTS The ‘Big Five’ personality traits and autonomous regulation were analyzed with this data set To test the hypothesis that extraversion is negatively associated with intrinsic motivation, a bivariate correlation analysis was conducted between extraversion and intrinsic autonomous regulation scores Statistical analyses revealed that extraversion and intrinsic motivation were positively associated (r = 22, p < 01), which disconfirms the hypothesis (see table 1) To test the hypothesis that agreeableness is positively associated with intrinsic motivation, a bivariate correlation analysis was conducted between agreeableness and intrinsic autonomous regulation scores Results showed agreeableness and intrinsic motivation were positively associated (r = 14, p < 01), which confirmed the hypothesis (see table 1) To test the hypothesis that conscientiousness is positively associated with intrinsic motivation, a bivariate correlation analysis was conducted between conscientiousness and intrinsic autonomous regulation scores Analysis of the data indicated that conscientiousness and intrinsic motivation were positively associated (r = 23, p < 01), which confirmed the hypothesis (see table 1) To test the hypothesis that emotional stability is positively associated with intrinsic motivation, a bivariate correlation analysis was conducted between emotional 16 stability and intrinsic autonomous regulation scores Results indicated that emotional stability and intrinsic motivation were positively associated (r = 22, p < 01), which confirmed the hypothesis (see table 1) To test the hypothesis that openness to experience is negatively associated with intrinsic motivation, a bivariate correlation analysis was conducted between openness to experience and intrinsic autonomous regulation scores The results revealed openness to experience and intrinsic motivation were negatively associated (r = -.32, p < 01), which confirmed the hypothesis (see table 1) 17 TABLE Bivariate correlations among the ‘Big Five’ personality traits Autonomous Regulation Big Five Traits Item Extraversion Pearson Correlation Sig (1-tailed) 22** 000 Agreeableness Pearson Correlation Sig (1-tailed) 14** 008 Conscientiousness Pearson Correlation Sig (1-tailed) 23** 000 Pearson Correlation Sig (1-tailed) 22** 000 Pearson Correlation Sig (1-tailed) -.32** 000 Emotional Stability Openness to Experience * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (1-tailed) ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed) 18 FIGURE Scatterplot correlation between openness to experience personality trait and autonomous regulation FIGURE Scatterplot correlation between conscientiousness personality trait and autonomous regulation 19 CHAPTER DISCUSSION In the current study, it was found the personality traits extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were positively associated with intrinsic motivation This result suggests that people who hold these personality traits have their own relational and personal reasons for physical activity In essence, having a connection to relational and personal reasons for physical activity will provide a person with intrinsic motivation This is consistent with research from Duncan et al (2010) who found positive motivational consequences associated with persistence in physical activity in those who have intrinsic motivation They also found identified regulation was the strongest predictor of exercise frequency, which is consistent with the current study Teixeira et al (2012) found intrinsic motivation was predictive of long-term exercise adherence In relation to extraversion and conscientiousness, Rhodes (2006) found that these personality traits had a positive relationship with physical activity Rhodes (2006) also found people who scored lower in neuroticism, which would be those with emotional stability, are likely to engage in physical activity Extrinsic motivation is an important piece of the puzzle as well Mullan and Markland (1997) found that, although extrinsic motivation alone cannot sustain a long-term engagement in regular physical activity, it often is the change catalyst during the initial stages of exercise Edmunds et al (2006) found when it comes to regulation of physical activity, exercise outcomes (which would be extrinsic motivators) may initially be more important than the fun and 20 enjoyment of the activity (which would be intrinsic motivators) This would be consistent with results of the current study Examples of exercise outcomes could include learning a new skill, meeting new people, or physical improvement of the body The current study found the personality trait openness to experience was negatively associated with intrinsic motivation Those who are open to experiences tend to be creative, curious, imaginative, and more introverted Introverts usually tend to have less energy and need more extrinsic motivation to participate in physical activity Teixeira et al (2012) found consistent results when they found that identified regulation, an autonomous form of extrinsic motivation, was more predictive than intrinsic motivation of initial and short-term adoption of physical activity The past research cited is consistent with the current research All Big Five personality traits had an effect on participating in and adherence to physical activity There is not a correct or incorrect place on the self-determination theory continuum that will prove whether or not a person will be successful in leading a healthy, physically active lifestyle Instead, it is more of a way to predict what may work best in beginning and adhering to physical activity for the short and long-term Both types of motivation are important for different reasons that are equally important for a healthy lifestyle It is clear from current and past research that extrinsic motivation would benefit the adoption of a new activity and intrinsic motivation would benefit the consistency and adherence to the activity This study adds to the existing literature in two ways First, there was a well-balanced sample distribution among males and females Studies frequently have a 1:2 male to female ratio, which makes the results heavily skewed toward one gender Even though the gender demographic was not central to the hypothesis, it is better to have a fair representation of the 21 population Second, it explores the association between motivation and all of the ‘Big Five’ personality traits Other studies have not presented the same package of surveys to test the hypothesis of the association between personality traits and physical activity motivation 22 REFERENCES American College of Sports Medicine (2000) ASCM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (6th Ed.) Media, PA: Williams & Wilkins Annesi, J (2010) Relationship of physical activity and weight loss in women with Class II and Class III obesity: Mediation of exercise-induced changes in tension and depression International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 10, 435444 Bales, R (1970) Personality and interpersonal behavior Burgos-Garrido, E., Gurpegui, M., & Jurado, D (2011) Personality traits and adherence to physical activity in patients attending a primary health centre International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 11, 539-547 Burisch, M (1984) You don’t always get what you pay for: Measuring depression with short and simple versus long and sophisticated scales Journal of Research in Personality, 18, 81–98 Davies, C., Mummery, W., & Steele, R (2010) The relationship between personality, theory of planned behaviour and physical activity in individuals with type II diabetes British Journal of Sports Medicine, 979-984 Deci, E., & Ryan, R (2004) “Exercise self-regulation questionnaires.” Selfdetermination theory: An approach to human motivation and personality —The self-regulation questionnaires Duncan, L., Hall, C., Wilson, P., & Jenny, O (2010) Exercise motivation: A crosssectional analysis examining its Relationships with frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7-7 Edmunds, J., Ntomanis, N., & Duda, J (2006) A test of self-determination theory in the exercise domain Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36, 2240-2265 10 Gosling, S., Renfro, P., & Swann, W (2003) A very brief measure of the big five personality domains Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 504-528 11 Mullan, E., & Markland, D (1997) Variations in self-determination across the stages of change for exercise in adults Motivation and Emotion, 21, 349-362 23 12 Prochaska, J., & DiClemente (1983) Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 390-395 13 Rhodes, R (2006) The built-in environment: The role of personality and physical activity Exercise and Sport Sciences, 34, 83 14 Rhodes, R., & Smith, N (2006) Personality correlates of physical activity: A review and meta-analysis British Journal of Sports Medicine, 40, 958-965 15 Robins, R., Hendin, H., & Trzesniewski, K (2001) Measuring global self-esteem: Construct validation of a single-item measure and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 151–161 16 Ryan, R., & Deci, E (2000) Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being American Psychologist, 55:68-78 17 Ryan R., Patrick, H., Deci, E., & Williams, G (2008) Facilitating health behavior change and its maintenance: Interventions based on self-determination theory The European Health Psychologist, 10 18 Schroeder, S (2007) We can better – Improving the health of the American people New England Journal of Medicine, 357, 1221-1228 19 Teixeira, P., Carraca, E., Markland, D., Silva, M., & Ryan, R (2012) Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: A systematic review International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9, 78-108 20 US Department of Health and Human Services (2008) Physical activity guidelines advisory committee report, 2008 US Department of Health and Human Services 21 Vollrath, M., & Torgersen, S (2002) Who takes health risks? A probe into eight personality types Personality and Individual Differences, 32,1185-1197 22 Williams, G., Deci, E., & Ryan, R (1998) Building health-care partnerships by supporting autonomy: Promoting maintained behavior change and positive health outcomes Partnerships in Healthcare: Transforming Relational Process, 67-87 24 23 Wilson, P., & Rodgers, W (2004) The relationship between perceived autonomy support, exercise regulations and behavioral intentions in women Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 5, 229-242 24 Zuckerman, M., & Cloninger, C (1996) Relationships between Cloninger's, Zuckerman's and Eysenck's dimensions of personality Personality and Individual Differences, 21, 283-285 25 APPENDIX A: Personality Survey 26 TEN-ITEM PERSONALITY INVENTORY Source: Gosling, S., Renfro, P., & Swann, W (2003) A very brief measure of the big five personality domains Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 504-528 27 APPENDIX B: Physical Activity Survey 28 RM 4-FM: MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SURVEY Source: Deci, E., & Ryan, R (2004) “Exercise self-regulation questionnaires.” Selfdetermination theory: An approach to human motivation and personality —The selfregulation questionnaires 29 ... THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TYPE AND EXERCISE MOTIVATION By Kayla Bowman Master of Science Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky 2015 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate... stay consistent and maintain their efforts in exercising By uncovering the relationship between personality and physical activity, professionals in the field can better understand and provide interventions... ‘Big Five’ personality traits Other studies have not presented the same package of surveys to test the hypothesis of the association between personality traits and physical activity motivation