Hasan Ulukan
1
,
Ali Gures
2
,
Nisanur Canikli Temel
3
,
Asli Esenkaya
4
,
Gokturk Samet Kilic
5
1
Faculty of Sports Sciences, Department of Sports Management, Division of Sports Management, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, 09100, Türkiye
2
Faculty of Sports Sciences, Department of Coaching Education, Division of Movement and Exercise Sciences, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, 09100, Türkiye
3
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Division of Psychosocial Aspects in Sport, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, 09100, Türkiye
4
Germencik Yamantürk Vocational School
5
Faculty of Sports Sciences
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the predictive role of motivation for participation in physical activity on psychological well-being and social connectedness among young adult men. Although the positive effects of physical activity on psychological outcomes have been widely documented in the literature, studies examining the relationship between motivation for participation in physical activity and both psychological and social variables within a holistic framework remain limited. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationships among motivation for participation in physical activity, psychological well-being, and social connectedness. The study was conducted using a correlational survey design, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consisted of 293 young adult men aged between 18 and 30 years. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Motivation for Participation in Physical Activity Scale, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Social Connectedness Scale. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package program, and Pearson correlation and simple linear regression analyses were employed. The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between motivation for participation in physical activity and psychological well-being. In contrast, a negative and significant relationship was found between motivation for participation in physical activity and social connectedness. Regression analysis further demonstrated that motivation for participation in physical activity significantly and positively predicted psychological well-being, while it significantly and negatively predicted social connectedness. In conclusion, motivation for participation in physical activity may exert different effects on psychological and social outcomes. The findings suggest that motivation for participation in physical activity plays an important role in promoting psychological well-being; however, its relationship with social connectedness may vary depending on the nature of the underlying motivation.
Ulukan, H., Gures, A., Canikli Temel, N., Esenkaya, A., & Kilic, G. S. (2026). The predictive role of motivation for participation in physical activity on psychological well-being and social connectedness among young adult men. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 17(64), 730–742. https://doi.org/10.70736/ijoess.2335
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,
Ali Gures
2
