Examining the relationship between basic psychological needs in leisure and flow experiences of individuals participating in marathon races as a recreational activity
1
Erciyes University, Faculty of Sport Science, Kayseri, Türkiye
2
Erciyes University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Kayseri, Turkiye
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between basic psychological needs in leisure and flow experiences of individuals participating in marathon races as a recreational activity. The study group consists of adults aged 18 and over who participated in marathon races organized in Kayseri. Participants were selected through random sampling. The sample group comprised 482 individuals who participated in the study. Personal information form, Basic Psychological Needs in Leisure Scale, and Recreational Flow Experience Scale were used as data collection tools. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 statistical program. First, the normality distribution of the data was examined and descriptive statistics were calculated. T-test and ANOVA analyses were conducted to examine the effect of demographic variables on basic psychological needs in leisure and flow experience scales. The significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Significant relationships were found between basic psychological needs in leisure and flow experiences of individuals participating in marathon races as a recreational activity, and it was determined that these relationships differed according to demographic variables such as gender, age, marital status, and education level. It was observed that especially males, older participants, singles, and individuals with postgraduate education levels generally had higher autonomy, competence, relatedness, and flow experience scores. These results reveal that demographic factors play an important role in understanding the psychological needs and flow experiences of marathon runners.
Keywords
Recreation,Basic Psychological Needs in Leisure,Recreational Flow Experience,Marathon Races
How to Cite
Kızıldag, N. E., & Karakus, B. (2025). Examining the relationship between basic psychological needs in leisure and flow experiences of individuals participating in marathon races as a recreational activity. Journal of Peakpoint Sport & Recreation Research, 1(1-2), 68–81. https://doi.org/10.70736/jpsrr.511
📄Arslanoğlu, E., Tekin, M., Arslanoğlu, C., & Özmutlu, İ. (2010). Voleybol hakemlerinin çeşitli değişkenlere göre kaygı ve temel psikolojik ihtiyaç düzeylerinin incelenmesi. Uluslararası İnsan Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(2), 985-995.
📄Ayhan, C., Eskiler, E. & Soyer, F. (2020). Rekreasyonel katılımcılarda akış deneyiminin ölçülmesi: Ölçek geliştirme ve doğrulama. Journal of Human Sciences, 17(4), 1297-1311. [Crossref]
📄Bayraktar, G., & Kuru, E. (2007). Güreş hakemlerinin temel psikolojik ihtiyaçlarının incelenmesi. Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 1(1), 27-39.
📄Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2017). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. Pegem Akademi.
📄Cihangir-Çankaya, Z. (2009). Öğretmen adaylarında temel psikolojik ihtiyaçların doyumu ve iyi olma. Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(3), 691-711.
📄Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row.
📄Çakmak, E. N. (2023). Üniversite öğrencilerinin boş zamanı yönetebilme yeteneklerinin rekreasyonel akış deneyimi üzerindeki etkisi (Tez No. 833267) [Yüksek Lisans tezi, Fırat Üniversitesi].
📄Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. [Crossref]
📄Dereceli, Ç., & Köse, B. (2022). Üniversite öğrencilerinin serbest zamanda temel psikolojik ihtiyaçlarının ve boş zaman stratejilerinin bazı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science, 5(Özel Sayı 1), 77-91. [Crossref]
📄Ekinci, E. (2023). Macera arayışı, akış deneyimi ve serbest zaman tatmini ilişkisi: açık alan rekreasyon katılımcıları üzerine bir araştırma (Tez No. 791519) [Doktora tezi, Ankara Üniversitesi].
📄Güneş, G. (2019). Namık Kemal Üniversitesi öğrencilerinde serbest zaman motivasyonunun ve temel psikolojik ihtiyaçların çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesi (Tez No. 555734) [Yüksek lisans tezi, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi].
📄Jackson, S. A., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in sports: The keys to optimal experiences and performances.. Human Kinetics.
📄Kandil, N. (2024). Serbest zaman ilgilenimi ve mutluluk arasındaki ilişkide akış deneyiminin aracı rolü: rekreasyonel kış sporları katılımcıları örneği (Tez No. 895513) [Doktora tezi, Atatürk Üniversitesi].
📄Kaya, B., Metin, T., & Akoğlan Kozak, M. (2015). Kapalı rekreasyon tesislerinde kullanıcıların akış deneyimi. Seyahat ve Otel İşletmeciliği Dergisi, 12(2). 12 (2), 6-25.
📄Kılıçarslan, F., Kurtipek, S., Ayyıldız Durhan, T., Güngör, N. (2023). Z kuşağı üniversite öğrencilerinin serbest zaman temel psikolojik ihtiyaçları ve genel özyeterlikleri üzerine bir araştırma. Gazi Journal of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, 28(3), 174-181. [Crossref]
📄Kowal, J., & Fortier, M. S. (1999). Motivational determinants of flow: Contributions from self-determination theory. The Journal of Social Psychology, 139(3), 355-368. [Crossref]
📄Mannell, R. C., & Kleiber, D. A. (2013). A social psychology of leisure. Venture Publishing Inc.
📄Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). The concept of flow. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology. Springer. [Crossref]
📄Ntoumanis, N., Ng, J. Y., Prestwich, A., Quested, E., Hancox, J. E., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., ... & Williams, G. C. (2020). A meta-analysis of self-determination theory-informed intervention studies in the health domain: effects on motivation, health behavior, physical, and psychological health. Health Psychology Review, 14(1), 113-138. [Crossref]
📄Özmaden, M., Ölçücü, B., Dokuzoğlu, G., Çevik, A., Eren, M. Ö., & Yaylı, H. (2022). Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi öğrencilerinin serbest zaman temel psikolojik ihtiyaçlarının bazı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. Journal of Human Sciences, 19(2), 274-284. [Crossref]
📄Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The Guilford Press. [Crossref]
📄Schüler, J., & Brunner, S. (2009). The rewarding effect of flow experience on performance in a marathon race. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10(1), 168-174. [Crossref]
📄Shipway, R., & Holloway, I. (2010). Running free: Embracing a healthy lifestyle through distance running. Perspectives in Public Health, 130(6), 270-276. [Crossref]
📄Stenseng, F., Forest, J., & Curran, T. (2015). Positive emotions in recreational sport activities: The role of passion and belongingness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 16(5), 1117-1129. [Crossref]
📄Şengezer, T. B. (2024). Rekreatif olarak binicilik eğitimi alan bireylerde akış deneyiminin mental iyi oluş üzerindeki etkisi (Tez No. 889058) [Yüksek Lisans tezi, Sakarya Uygulamalı Bilimler Üniversitesi].
📄Tabachnick B. G., Fidell L. S. (2013). Using Multivariate Statistics. Pearson.
📄Teixeira, P. J., Carraça, E. V., Markland, D., Silva, M. N., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9(1), 78. [Crossref]
📄Toy, A. B., Bozkurt, S., Kantarcı, A. D. (2024). Rekreatif yüzme sporu yapan bireylerin serbest zaman temel psikolojik ihtiyaçlarının değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. VI. International Halich Congress On Multidisciplinary Scientific Research, 170-178.
📄Vallerand, R. J. (2007). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in sport and physical activity: A review and a look at the future. Tenenbaum, G., & Eklund, R. C. (Eds.), Handbook of Sport Psychology, 3, 59-83. [Crossref]
📄Vlachopoulos, S. P., Asci, F. H., Cid, L., Ersoz, G., González-Cutre, D., Moreno-Murcia, J. A., & Moutão, J. (2013). Cross-cultural invariance of the basic psychological needs in exercise scale and need satisfaction latent mean differences among Greek, Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish samples. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(5), 622-631. [Crossref]
📄Vlachopoulos, S.P., Michailidou S. (2006). Development andinitialvalidation of a measure of autonomy, competence, andrelatedness in exercise: The basic psychological needs in exercise scale. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science. 10(3), 179-201. [Crossref]
📄Weinstein, N., & Ryan, R. M. (2011). A self‐determination theory approach to understanding stress incursion and responses. Stress and Health, 27(1), 4-17. [Crossref]
,
Bayram Karakus
2
