Modelling participation motivation in sport and exercise: An integrative approach

Abstract

A considerable literature relating to exercise participation, attrition and dropout has accumulated since the 1970s. At the same time, there have been few attempts to integrate this literature through the development of holistic models. The model presented in this paper represents participation in both organised sport and physical exercise as a dynamic, cognitive-behavioural staged process, implicating decision-making processes, structural barriers and facilitators, participation itself, rewards and finally evaluation. Through each stage, the model brings together numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors, all of which have been cited in previous research in relation to sport and exercise participation, in attempting to understand the alternative pathways through which individuals either drop-out from or maintain exercise regimes.