Associations among children's situational motivation, physical activity participation, and enjoyment in an active dance video game

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between children's situational motivation and physical activity (PA) levels in a Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) program, and perceived PA enjoyment. Methods: A sample of 215 elementary children participated in a weekly 30-min DDR program. Children's situational motivation toward DDR (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, external regulation, and amotivation) was measured, followed by the measurement of their accelerometer-determined moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) in DDR. Children then reported their PA enjoyment. Results: Only intrinsic motivation was positively related with children's MVPA in DDR and PA enjoyment. However, other motivational beliefs were not significantly related to MVPA and PA enjoyment. Regression analyses further suggested intrinsic motivation was the significant predictor for MVPA and PA enjoyment. Conclusion: Children who experienced fun and learned new things when playing DDR reached high PA levels in DDR, as well as developed generalized feeling states of enjoyment.