Parental Social Support, Perceived Competence, and Enjoyment in School Physical Activity

• In Event: 31.081 - Examining Value Orientations, Perceived Competence, Attitudes, and Student Achievement in Physical Education

Abstract

This research investigated the associations between children’s beliefs about parental social support, perceived competence and enjoyment in school physical activity. Three hundred twenty children (9 to 11 years old) participated in a 2-wave study. At the 1st wave, children completed the questionnaires measuring their beliefs about parental social support for physical activity, perceived competence and physical activity enjoyment; they reported their physical activity enjoyment again 8 mothers later at the 2nd wave. Results from both concurrent and longitudinal analyses support that parental social support is an important factor directly associated with children’s physical activity enjoyment, especially among children with low perceptions of competence.

Authors

• Bo Shen, Wayne State University

• Erin Elizabeth Centeio, Wayne State University

• Alex C. Garn, University of Newcastle

• Nathan A. Mccaughtry, Wayne State University

• Jeffrey Martin, Wayne State University

• Cheryl Leigh Somers, Wayne State University

• Noel Kulik, Wayne State University