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Children have overlapping motivational structures for physical activity and gaming; both activities compete for limited free time.
The most significant difference was found for the motive "competition", with children rating this motive more highly for gaming than for sporting activities.
No significant differences were found between the children's self-assessments and their parents' perceptions.
Recreation was identified as the strongest motive for engaging in physical activity and gaming across all participant groups.
Summary of this study
Physical activity is crucial for children's healthy development. However, digital technologies have made digital gaming an integral part of their everyday lives, which has increased concerns about reduced physical activity. As parents play a central role in guiding children's behavior, their understanding of motivational factors for both areas is of great importance.
The study examined the motivational differences between physical activity and digital gaming using five scales: recreation, social interaction, coping, competition and skill. It also examined how exactly parents perceive these motivations in their children.
The data was collected at events using a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 94 participants (49 parent-child pairs). Various statistical methods were used to analyze the effects and interactions between groups, activities and motives.
The children showed a significant interaction between activity type and motivation dimension. The motive competition was rated significantly higher for digital gaming than for physical activity. For adults, coping was rated higher for physical activity than for gaming, while they also perceived competition more strongly for gaming.
The results make it clear that gaming does not necessarily reflect a lack of interest in sport, but is based on independent, equally strong motivations. No statistically significant differences were found between the children's self-assessments and the parents' perceptions, which indicates a general similarity in the assessment. These findings may help to develop better strategies to promote a healthy balance between physical and digital activities.
Key findings of this study
- Overlapping motivational structures: The results show that children have similar motivational profiles for physical activity and digital gaming, suggesting that both activities compete for limited free time. Digital gaming is therefore not seen as a sign of a lack of interest in sport, but as an activity that often fulfills the same psychological needs.
- Stronger focus on competition in gaming: A significant difference was found in the motive of competition, which was rated much more highly in digital gaming than in sporting activities. This could be due to the easy accessibility of modern online competition formats, which allow children to compete with others from the comfort of their own home.
- High accuracy of parental perceptions: The study found no statistically significant differences between children's self-assessments and parents' perceptions of their motives. This consistency suggests that parents are good judges of their children's motivations for both forms of activity, providing a positive basis for family-based strategies.
- Recreation as the most important motivator: Across all participant groups and both activity types, recreation was identified as the most heavily weighted motive. This underlines that children's engagement is primarily driven by intrinsic values and a personal desire for balance and enjoyment.