Predictor Model for Running Motivations: Analysis of Spanish vs. Mexican Route Runners

Abstract

In physical exercise, studying the incentives involved when a subject is developing within their activity has become one of the key concerns of sport and exercise psychology. The aim was to establish the predictive effects of commitment to running, competitive anxiety and perception of success in route races upon the reasons for participating in them. 1.795 long-distance runners took part (1.105 Spanish, 690 Mexicans). Of these, 85.65% were men with an average age of M=38.98 (DT=10.45), and 14.35% were women, with an average age of M=37.88 (DT=9.80). Data were collected via Spanish language adaptations of Motivations of Marathoners Scales-34 (MOMS-34), the Commitment to Running Scale-11 (CR-11) the Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2R) and the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ). The results showed that compared to the Spanish group, the Mexicans scored higher in all sub-scales of the MOMS-34, the CR-11, the POSQ and in the Self-confidence sub-scales of the CSAI-2R, but lower in Physical anxiety. There were no significant differences in terms of Cognitive anxiety. Finally, the seven predictive models based on regression analyses were very similar when the two nationalities were compared in groups according to the participants’ sex, producing some very high explanatory variance. But the predictive models were shown to be differential when men were compared with women.