Exercise Motivations Inventory – 2 (EMI-2)
Measures individuals' participation motives for physical exercise across multiple physical, psychological, and social dimensions.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Exercise Motivations Inventory – 2 (EMI-2) was developed by David Markland, L. Hardy, D.K. Ingledew (1997). It is designed to measure Exercise Motivation. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 51 items organized into 14 factors/subscales: Stress management, Revitalization, Enjoyment, Challenge, Social recognition, Affiliation, Competition, Health pressures, Ill-health avoidance, Positive health, Weight management, Appearance, Strength, Nimbleness.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Stress management | 6,20,34,46 | 4 |
| Revitalization | 3,17,31 | 3 |
| Enjoyment | 9,23,37,48 | 4 |
| Challenge | 14,28,42,51 | 4 |
| Social recognition | 5,19,33,45 | 4 |
| Affiliation | 10,24,38,49 | 4 |
| Competition | 12,26,40,50 | 4 |
| Health pressures | 11,25,39 | 3 |
| Ill-health avoidance | 2,16,30 | 3 |
| Positive health | 7,21,35 | 3 |
| Weight management | 1,15,29,43 | 4 |
| Appearance | 4,18,32,44 | 4 |
| Strength | 8,22,36,47 | 4 |
| Nimbleness | 13,27,41 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all true for me, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = Very true for me.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Subscale score range (average score of items within each subscale): 0 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Stress management (0.92), Revitalization (0.83), Enjoyment (0.90), Challenge (0.86), Social recognition (0.88), Affiliation (0.91), Competition (0.95), Health pressures (0.69), Ill-health avoidance (0.90), Positive health (0.88), Weight management (0.91), Appearance (0.86), Strength (0.86), Nimbleness (0.90).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.