Exercise Motivation And Depression:the Mediating Role Of Basic Psychological Needs

The relationship between exercise motivation and depression has been lack of relevant research,this study used the method of questionnaire and experiment to explore the impact of exercise motivation on depression,and explore the intermediary role of basic psychological needs.The purpose of first study is to use questionnaire to explore the relationship between exercise motivation and depression and to explore the intermediary effect of basic psychological needs.495 college students from Wuhan University filled out the questionnaire of this study.Results showed that: first,individuals with higher exercise motivation have lower levels of depression;second,basic psychological needs play a fully mediated role in the relationship between exercise motivation and depression,that is to say,exercise motivation may affects the degree of depression by influencing basic psychological needs.Study II initiated the sense of autonomy of the basic psychological needs by means of situational initiation,the main purpose is to further explore the role of the autonomous factors of the basic psychological needs in the relationship between exercise motivation and depression,and 46 college students from all over the country participated in the experiment of study II.Results showed that: first,regardless of the exercise motivation,the depression state of the high self-autonomous group was significantly lower than that of the low-autonomous group;second,there was no significant difference of the depression level between different exercise motivations in both groups.Study III initiated the sense of ability of the basic psychological needs by means of situational initiation,the main purpose is to further explore the role of the capability factors of the basic psychological needs in the relationship between exercise motivation and depression,and 57 college students from all over the country participated in the experiment of study III.Results showed that: first,regardless of the exercise motivation,the depression state of the high-capacity was significantly lower than that of the low-capacity group;second,for individuals with low exercise motivation,depression was higher than low-capacity groups.Study IV initiated the sense of belonging of the basic psychological needs by means of situational initiation,the main purpose is to further explore the role of the belonging factors of the basic psychological needs in the relationship between exercise motivation and depression,and 68 college students from all over the country participated in the experiment of study IV.Results showed that: first,regardless of the exercise motivation,the depression status of the high-belonging was significantly lower than that of the low-belonging group;second,for individuals with low exercise motivation,the degree of depression in the low-belonging group was higher than high-belonging group;finally,in the low-belonging group,individuals with low exercise motivation had higher depression than the high exercise motivated individuals.Four studies focus on the role of basic psychological needs in the relationship between exercise motivation and depression,and these findings are beneficial to the prevention and intervention of depression among college students,and provide theoretical basis for the reasonable arrangement of sports courses and after-school sports programs among college students.