How culture shapes motivation to engage in recreation activities: A cross-cultural perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the type of motivation that triggers participation in recreational activities, and to contrast and to compare two ethnic groups of college students. Motivational data collected from 270 participants surveyed in the United States (n=135) and Mexico (n= 135) were compared. Data was statistically analyzed using an Independent t-test. Results indicated that culture indeed impacts the types of motivation that college students experience during their leisure pursuits. More specifically, significant differences were reported between American and Mexican college students in intrinsic motivation, identified regulation and amotivation. Thus, this study supports the idea that culture influences leisure motivation. Evidence suggests that the motivation to engage in recreational activities for males (n=96) and females (n=96) was no significantly different. In light of these findings, the author suggests the need to recognize culture as an important factor to consider while addressing culturally different groups, thus avoiding the use of generalized models which are not customized to cultural contexts.