Fitness trainers’ use of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors: the role of gender, fitness activity, and professional experience

  • Filipe Rodrigues Sport Science School of Rio Maior (ESDRM-IPSantarém). Rio Maior. Life Quality Research Center (CIEQV). Santarém. Research Center in Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD). Vila Real. Portugal.
  • Rita Macedo Center for Organizational and Social Studies of P. PORTO (CEOS P. PORTO). Porto. Portugal. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5861-4089
  • Diogo Santos Teixeira Center for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER). Lusofona University. Lisbon. Portugal. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4587-5903
  • Luís Cid Sport Science School of Rio Maior (ESDRM-IPSantarém). Rio Maior. Research Center in Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD). Vila Real. Portugal. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8156-3291
  • Diogo Monteiro ESECS, Polytechnic of Leiria. Leiria. Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD). Vila Real. Portugal. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7179-6814
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33155/j.ramd.2020.07.007
Keywords: Instructores Actividad Física, Comportamientos interpersonales, Necesidades psicológicas básicas, Invarianza Fitness trainers, Interpersonal behaviors, Basic psychological needs, Measurement invariance Instrutores fitness, Comportamentos interpessoais, Necessidades psicológicas básicas, Invariância

Abstract

Objective: The assessment of interventions designed to improve communication skills of trainers has become an interesting research focus among the scholar community. Yet, literature is scarce on how trainer characteristics could influence behaviors expressed by fitness trainers when interacting with gym members. The present research aimed to examine the role of gender, fitness activity, and work experience of fitness trainers use of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors.

Method: In total, 468 trainers (female = 213; male = 255) aged between 19 and 46 years (M = 29.20; SD = 4.39) were recruited for the present study.

Results: The measurement model provided acceptable fit in each group under analysis. Additionally, the multigroup analysis revealed invariance between gender, fitness activities, and working experience.

Conclusion: Regarding the measurement of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors, the measure under analysis can be applied reliably to fitness trainers with different characteristics.

Published
2020-07-24
Issue
Vol. 14 No. 2 (2021): June 2021
Section
Originals
Page/s
82-86
DOI
https://doi.org/10.33155/j.ramd.2020.07.007