Loisirs et santé mentale: les relations entre la motivation pour la pratique des loisirs et le bien-être psychologique.

Studied interactions between motivations for leisure activities and psychological well-being to test the hypothesis that a high degree of motivational self-determination is associated with a high level of psychological functioning. 463 secondary school students (mean age 17 yrs) completed a questionnaire assessing their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for different types of leisure activities. The types of motivation differed with regard to their levels of self-determination. Results were analyzed in relation to questionnaire data on psychological well-being. The Motivation for Leisure Scale (L. G. Pelletier et al, 1994) and the Index of Psychological Well-Being (Pelletier et al) were used. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supprimer notre ennui, mais à quel prix? L'effet paradoxal du contr?le mental de l'ennui durant une tache fastidieuse.

Assessed the paradoxical impact of mental control (D. M. Wegner, 1994) on the level of boredom towards a tedious task. The mixed experimental design comprised a 3-level between-Ss factor, mental control (i.e., boredom suppression, boredom expression, and control group), and a 2-level within-Ss factor, mental load (i.e., high and low mental load). The dependent variable was the level of boredom. Ss were a total of 60 university students (aged 18–39 yrs). Results revealed that when all the participants had the opportunity to express their boredom at the end of the experiment, the level of boredom was significantly higher for the participants that previously suppressed their boredom than for the participants of the control group. Mental load did not affect the mental control of boredom. The discussion underscores the potential contribution of paradoxical strategies to our understanding of boredom self-regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pourquoi adoptez-vous des comportements écologiques? Validation en langue fran?aise de l'échelle de motivation vis-à-vis les comportements écologiques.

This article presents the French-Canadian validation of the Motivation Towards the Environment Scale (MTES), along with information regarding its psychometric properties. Ss were 338 17–51 yr olds. The "Echelle de Motivation vis-a-vis les Comportements Ecologiques" (EMCE) is based on Self-determination Theory. It consists of 6 subscales measuring intrinsic motivation (IM), four forms of extrinsic motivation (EM by external, introjected, identified, and integrated regulation), and amotivation. In Study 1, results of a confirmatory factor analysis (using LISREL VII) supported the factorial structure of the scale. In addition, the construct validity of the EMCE was supported by a series of correlational analyses among the 6 subscales, as well as between these subscales and several variables relevant to the environment. Finally, results of Study 2 reveal that the EMCE subscales displayed satisfactory internal consistency, as well as high temporal stability. The results compared quite favourably to those of the English-Canadian version. Directions concerning the future use of the EMCE in environmental research are proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why do high school students lack motivation in the classroom? Toward an understanding of academic amotivation and the role of social support.

The present series of studies sought to develop and conceptually validate a taxonomy of reasons that give rise to academic amotivation and to investigate its social antecedents and academic consequences. In Study 1 (N = 351), an exploratory factor analysis offered preliminary support for an academic amotivation taxonomy comprising four dimensions: ability beliefs, effort beliefs, characteristics of the task, and value placed on the task. In Study 2 (N = 349), the proposed taxonomy was further corroborated through 1st- and 2nd-order confirmatory factor analyses, and its discriminant validity and construct validity were documented. Study 3 (N = 741) offered evidence for a model of the relationships among social support (from parents, teachers, and friends), amotivation, and academic outcomes (e.g., achievement, academic self-esteem, intention to drop out). Results are considered in terms of an increased conceptual understanding of academic amotivation, and implications for curricula and interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of behavioural difficulty on the saliency of the association between self-determined motivation and environmental behaviours.

Evaluated the impact of the perceived level of difficulty of environmental behaviours on the magnitude of the relationship between environmental self-determination and the occurrence of environmental behaviours. 444 undergraduates (aged 17–50 yrs) completed the Motivation Toward the Environment Scale (L. G. Pelletier et al, in press), along with self-report measures of environmental behaviours and perceived difficulty of environmental behaviours. Three types of environmental behaviours were examined: recycling, purchasing environmentally-friendly products, and educating oneself as to what can be done for the environment. It was hypothesized that the level of self-determination of environmental motivation significantly predicts the occurrence of environmental behaviours. Data were subjected to structural equation modeling analyzes. Results support the proposed hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)