The impact of the perceived motivational climate in physical education classes on adolescent greater life stress, coping appraisals, and experience of shame

This study examined associations between the perceived motivational climate (i.e., caring, task-, and ego-involving) in physical education (PE) classes and students' greater life stress (Cohen et al., 1983), state cognitive stress and coping appraisals (Gaab, Rohleder, Nater, & Ehlert, 2005), and internalized shame (Cook, 1996), controlling for depression. High school students (M_age = 15.69, SD = 1.29; n = 182 females and 162 males) completed questionnaires near semester end. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed a positive linear relationship between task-involving climate and coping appraisals (i.e., competence and control) for both females (β = .84) and males (β = .37), whereas a negative linear relationship emerged between caring climate and shame for males (β = -.36). A positive linear relationship also emerged between ego-involving climate and greater life stress for females (β = .18) and males (β=.22), shame for females (β=.31), and coping appraisals for males (β=.22). The final model for females accounted for 67% of variance in life stress, 35% of shame, and 66% of coping appraisals, whereas the final model for males accounted for 47% of variance in life stress, 57% of shame, and 52% of coping. Results suggest that an ego-involving climate may undermine efforts to utilize PE as a means to promote physical activity and may also have an adverse effect on youth that extends beyond sporting contexts, whereas a PE setting with a caring, task-involving climate seems a promising vehicle in which to promote adolescent well-being and foster a greater interest in physical activity.