Abstract

This study examines the content validity of current measures of sport participation motivation through interviews with ten college varsity athletes. Literature was reviewed to identify motivations currently represented in scales that measure sport participation motivation. Data was collected in the form of interviews which produced qualitative data to examine if current Division 3 athletes report themes that align with those found in formal assessment methods. Thematic analysis was utilized to determine themes among participant responses from the interviews. Results revealed twenty themes of which seven were newly identified. The eleven types of motivation from current sport participation motivation measures were also found. The results of this study unveiled a need for further development of sport participation measures which could include a single repository of scales and dimensions. There were limitations regarding the sample size as well as the representativeness of athletes. As this study was based on a small sample from one school within one conference at the Division 3 level, the sample was not representative of the entire athlete population. Future research with a larger, more diverse sample could provide further information on sport participation motivations.

Advisor

Karazsia, Bryan

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Psychology | Sports Studies

Keywords

Motivation, sports, content validity

Publication Date

2024

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2024 Melissa Burtscher