Motivation for Participation in Campus Recreation Based on Activity Type

Abstract

In this study, we examined differences in leisure motivation on the basis of the type of campus recreational activity in which a student was engaged. Specifically, campus recreational activities included aquatics, group fitness, intramural sports, informal sports, and informal fitness. The Leisure Motivation Scale (Beard and Ragheb, 1983) was completed by subjects after they engaged in a campus recreation activity. A 95% confidence level was established a priori, but a Bonferroni adjustment resulted in α ≤ .0015. Results from an analysis of variance indicated differences between activity type. Subjects engaged in informal sports were less motivated by competency/mastery factors than those engaged in other campus recreation activities. In addition, stimulus avoidance was a less predominant motivator in subjects participating in intramural sports than in those involved in other types of programs. These results suggest that students engaged in different activities are motivated by different factors and have implications for campus recreation programmers and marketers as they design programs.