Understanding the motivational processes involved in adolescents’ active commuting behaviour: Development and validation of the Behavioural Regulation in Active Commuting to and from School (BR-ACS) Questionnaire

• Published in: Transportation research. Part F, Traffic psychology and behaviour Traffic psychology and behaviour, 2019-04, Vol.62, p.615-625
• Main Authors: Burgueño, Rafael, González-Cutre, David, Sevil-Serrano, Javier, Herrador-Colmenero, Manuel, Segura-Díaz, José Manuel, Medina-Casaubón, Jesús, Chillón, Palma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active transport to school; Active travel to school; Adolescents; Commuting; Girls; Motivation; Psychometric analysis; Quantitative psychology; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Self-determination theory; Stability analysis; Structural hierarchy; Transportation; Young people
• ISSN: 1369-8478; 1873-5517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2019.02.016

•The “Behavioural Regulation in Active Commuting to and from School Questionnaire” was elaborated.•Results supported both a six-factor correlated model and a three-factor higher-order model.•Results showed adequate composite reliability, measurement invariance and predictive validity.•Active commuting behaviour was only predicted by autonomous forms of motivation. The motivational processes involving active commuting to and from school (ACS) are not yet well understood. Grounded in self-determination theory, the objective of this study was to adapt the Spanish version of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-3 to ACS, and to examine the psychometric properties of the resulting version called Behavioural Regulation in Active Commuting to and from School (BR-ACS). The participants were 404 secondary students (207 girls; Mage = 14.25, SD = 1.32) from different Spanish cities. The confirmatory factor analyses revealed adequate fit indices both for a six-factor structure (intrinsic motivation, integrated, identified, introjected and external regulation, and amotivation) and a hierarchical three-factor structure (autonomous, controlled motivation, and amotivation). The factor structure was invariant across gender and age. The internal consistency and temporal stability analyses showed adequate values for each factor. The binary logistic regression analysis reflected that intrinsic motivation, integrated, and identified regulation positively and significantly predicted ACS behaviour. The BR-ACS contributes to a better understanding of the motivational processes implied in adolescents’ ACS behaviour.