Research note
Disentangling motivation, intention, and planning in the physical activity domain

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2005.08.011Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives

Planning/implementation intentions has received support as a post-motivational construct across many behavioural domains but limited research has integrated the construct into a theoretical structure. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) seems most suited to integrate implementation intentions into its structure because it lacks a planning construct. Still, semantic ambiguities between intention and planning may make the measurement domains of these proposed constructs similar even if the two constructs are conceptually different. The purpose of this study was (1) to evaluate the discriminant validity of motivation items (e.g. exert effort, try hard), intention items (e.g. intend, plan), and implementation intention/planning items (e.g. specific plans), and (2) to then integrate distinct motivation and planning constructs into the TPB model.

Design

The study followed a prospective survey design where TPB and related variables were measured at baseline and physical activity was measured two weeks later.

Methods

Participants were 230 undergraduate students (70% female) who completed measures of the TPB and self-reported physical activity.

Results

Structural equation modelling showed that motivation and planning items possessed discriminant validity (p<0.01), but intention items could not be discriminated from motivation or planning (p>0.05). Still, planning did not augment motivation-physical activity relations (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Intention items appear to straddle the measurement domains of planning and motivation. Careful item choices should be made when researchers wish to incorporate motivation and planning constructs in the same model. Planning did not add to the TPB model when predicting physical activity. The discrepancy between these results and prior research is discussed in terms of the differences between experimental and survey designs, and behaviour adoption versus maintenance.

Section snippets

Participants and Procedure

Two hundred and fifty-two students participated in the study for extra credit in their introductory psychology courses. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Participants attended large group sessions during February and March 2004, completing self-report measures of the theory of planned behaviour and implementation intentions. Two hundred and thirty participants returned to complete a two-week follow-up measure of physical activity behaviour. Thus, the total sample for the

Convergent/discriminant validity of motivation, intention, and planning items

Results of our confirmatory factor analysis among the proposed motivation, intention, and implementation intention/planning constructs showed that motivation and implementation intentions were discriminant (Δχ2=162.08, p<0.001), but intention was convergent with both motivation (Δχ2 (1)=2.33, p>0.05) and implementation intentions (Δχ2 (1)=0.99, p>0.05).

Incorporating motivation and planning into the theory of planned behaviour

Based on the confirmatory factor analysis findings, we included the motivation and planning constructs into the theory of planned behaviour (

Discussion

Planning/implementation intentions has received support as a post-motivational construct across many behavioural domains but limited research has integrated the construct into a theoretical structure. The theory of planned behaviour seems most suited to integrate implementation intentions into its structure because it lacks a planning construct, while theories like social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical model include volitional planning strategies within their frameworks. Still,

Acknowledgements

Ryan E. Rhodes is supported by a scholar award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and with funds from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the British Columbia Knowledge and Development Fund, British Columbia Ministry of Health, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Chris M. Blanchard is supported by an Ontario research scientist award.

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