AI Insight
This study examined how Chinese male college freshmen experienced fitness self-testing through the lens of Self-Determination Theory, focusing on three psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Ten participants ranked in the top or bottom 5% of fitness scores completed monthly self-testing over four months and participated in semi-structured interviews. Results revealed four themes showing that self-testing provided empowerment but also responsibility, created mixed feelings of competence satisfaction and frustration, functioned as a socially embedded practice, and served as a catalyst for self-challenge and self-regulated lifestyle development.
Why it matters
The findings can inform the design of fitness self-testing programs in educational settings that better support students' psychological needs, potentially improving engagement with health-related fitness activities and promoting long-term healthy lifestyle habits among college students.
Understand the Science
IntroductionGuided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examined Chinese male college freshmen’s perceptions of their fundamental psychological needs in relation to fitness self-testing. Specifically, the study focused on how the educational experience of independently monitoring and enhancing health-related fitness (HRF) supported—or challenged—the satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.MethodsTen participants (age: 18–19 years old) were purposively sampled from those whose fitness testing scores ranked in the top or bottom 5% of the class at the end of a semester. Each participant completed monthly self-testing sessions over 4 months. Guided by the SDT, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the data to generate themes. Observation notes and student reflections were utilized for data triangulation. Peer debriefing, member checking, and negative case analysis were conducted to establish the trustworthiness of the data.ResultsFour main themes emerged from the data: (a) Autonomy as empowerment and responsibility, (b) Competence satisfaction mixed with frustration, (c) Self-testing as a socially embedded practice, and (d) Self-testing as a catalyst for self-challenge, and self-regulated lifestyle development.ConclusionThe three basic psychological needs in fitness self-testing, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, were central in this context. These findings can inform future fitness self-testing protocols that support student learning, HRF, and social belonging.