Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

UC Irvine

UC Irvine Previously Published Works bannerUC Irvine

Development of a tool for quantifying need-supportive coaching in technology-mediated exercise classes.

Abstract

Technology-mediated interventions to promote physical activity are growing in popularity and appear to be effective for supporting continued adherence for some people. Some of this efficacy may be related to the cultivation of motivation that is self-determined (i.e., autonomous), which is posited to arise from the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs: competence, relatedness, and autonomy. We developed an observational coding tool for quantifying the frequency of needs-supportive and needs-indifferent coaching during technology-mediated exercise classes. The Peloton Instructor Needs-Supportive Coaching (PINC) tool shows evidence of reliability (average kappa = .91). We also demonstrated the utility of the PINC for characterizing needs-supportive coaching profiles across 4 different types of classes (Beginner, Power Zone, Groove, and High-Intensity Interval Training) and the construct validity of the PINC with respect to examining the relationship of needs-supportive coaching to intrinsic motivation. The PINC offers a useful tool with which future studies could evaluate whether and how instructor coaching impacts self-determined motivation to exercise within a technology-mediated context.

Many UC-authored scholarly publications are freely available on this site because of the UC's open access policies. Let us know how this access is important for you.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View