Simplified Exercise Motivation Scale (MPAM-R) – Chinese Version

Description

Exercise motivation refers to the psychological drive that prompts individuals to engage in physical exercise. The “Physical Activity Motivation Scale” (MPAM-R), developed by Ryan et al., is a commonly used tool for studying exercise motivation. This scale is designed based on cognitive evaluation theory and self-determination theory, listing a series of motivations that encourage participation in sports and physical activities (e.g., to enhance physical fitness) and asks respondents to evaluate the intensity of these motivations.

Authors and Contact Email

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Purpose

The purpose of this study is to simplify the MPAM-R Chinese version into a 15-item scale for easier measurement of exercise motivation and to examine its reliability and validity using a sample of college students.

Test Year

Information not available.

Administration Method and Scoring

The simplified version of the exercise motivation scale uses a Likert 5-point scale, measuring motivation intensity from “没有” (not at all) to “非常强烈” (very strong).

Reliability and Validity

1) The Chinese simplified exercise motivation scale (MPAM-R) demonstrated reliability and validity that meet psychometric standards. The simplified scale retains the theoretical structure of the original exercise motivation scale, encompassing five motivation categories:
– 健康动机 (Health Motivation)
– 乐趣动机 (Fun Motivation)
– 外貌动机 (Appearance Motivation)
– 社交动机 (Social Motivation)
– 能力动机 (Ability Motivation)

The simplified scale effectively measures the comprehensive content and theoretical structure reflected in the full-scale exercise motivation with fewer items, making it a more efficient measurement tool.

2) Aside from the lack of significant correlation between appearance motivation and exercise frequency, the total exercise motivation score and the other four types of exercise motivation showed a significant positive correlation with exercise frequency, exercise time, exercise intensity, exercise commitment, and exercise persistence.

3) Internal motivations have a greater role in stimulating and sustaining exercise behavior than external motivations; the impact of exercise motivation on exercise behavior persistence is more evident than its influence on immediate exercise behavior characteristics.

4) Among college students, the ranking of exercise motivation from strong to weak is:
– 健康动机 (Health Motivation)
– 乐趣动机 (Fun Motivation)
– 社交动机 (Social Motivation)
– 外貌动机 (Appearance Motivation)
– 能力动机 (Ability Motivation)

The weak ability motivation indicates an insufficiency of internal exercise motivation among college students, which is unfavorable for stimulating and maintaining exercise behaviors.

5) Male college students exhibit stronger health, social, and ability motivations compared to females, while appearance motivation is weaker in male students than in female students.

Factors and Subscales

The scale includes the following five motivation dimensions:
– 健康动机 (Health Motivation)
– 乐趣动机 (Fun Motivation)
– 外貌动机 (Appearance Motivation)
– 社交动机 (Social Motivation)
– 能力动机 (Ability Motivation)

Keywords

Exercise motivation, MPAM-R, reliability, validity, college students.

Items in Chinese

C1 我想拥有强健的体魄。
C2 我想控制体重。
C3 我想参加娱乐性强的活动。
C4 我想获得新的运动技能。
C5 我想认识一些新朋友。
C6 我想保持身心健康。
C7 我想保持或改善体形。
C8 我想保持愉快的心情。
C9 我想提高现有的运动技能。
C10 我想增进与朋友的感情和友谊。
C11 我想过健康的生活。
C12 我想使自己的外貌更有吸引力。
C13 我想享受快乐的生活。
C14 我想保持目前的运动技术水平。
C15 我想保持良好的社会关系。

Items in English

C1 I want to have a strong body.
C2 I want to control my weight.
C3 I want to participate in fun activities.
C4 I want to acquire new sports skills.
C5 I want to meet new friends.
C6 I want to maintain physical and mental health.
C7 I want to maintain or improve my figure.
C8 I want to keep a pleasant mood.
C9 I want to improve my existing sports skills.
C10 I want to strengthen the bond and friendship with friends.
C11 I want to live a healthy life.
C12 I want to make my appearance more attractive.
C13 I want to enjoy a happy life.
C14 I want to maintain my current level of sports skills.
C15 I want to maintain good social relationships.

References

陈善平,王云冰,容建中等.锻炼动机量表(MPAM-R)简化版的构建和信效度分析[J].北京体育大学学报,2013,36(02):66-70+78.DOI:10.19582/j.cnki.11-3785/g8.2013.02.013.