Feasibility Study on the Relationship Between Aerobic Capacity and Intrinsic Motivation Associated with Task Self-Regulation Direct Original Research

Abstract

Introduction: Law enforcement officers (LEOs) face demands that require optimal task performance despite possible motivational challenges. This feasibility study’s purpose was to investigate the relationship between VO_2max and four motivation-based constructs in healthy, similar-aged individuals as LEO cadets. A better understanding of the relationship between physical fitness and intrinsic motivation is imperative in the future facilitation of LEO studies regarding task self-regulation.

Methods: 16 students (n_males=9, n_females=7; age=23±3 yr) attending a private, Midwestern university completed a graded exercise test to volitional fatigue on a stationary cycle ergometer and the Task Evaluation Questionnaire designed to measure four motivational constructs after performing a given activity: interest/enjoyment (I/E), perceived competence (PCo), perceived choice (PCh), and pressure/tension (P/T). Due to non-normally distributed data, a Spearman's rank-order correlation was performed with an alpha level of p<0.05 set for statistical significance.

Results: Findings suggested that there was a positive, strong relationship between VO_2max (42.0±10.6) and I/E (34.8±6.7), which was statistically significant, r_s(14)=.639, p=.008.

Conclusions: Overall, a monotonic association was found illustrating that as the I/E motivation construct increased, VO_2max also tended to increase in the same relative direction at differing rates.