A Comparative Study on Participation Motives and Psychological Well-being of Female University Student-Athletes in Kenya and Türkiye

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to examine the motivation to participate, psychological well-being, harmony in life, and contentment with life assessment of female university student athletes in Kenya and Türkiye. The study was designed with the descriptive and relational survey model as a quantitative research method. The research group consisted of 379 students representing female university athletes in Türkiye (224) and Kenya (155). Motivation to Participate in Sport Scale (Gill et al., 1983), Psychological Well-being Scale (Diener et al., 2010), Harmony in Life Scale (Kjell et al., 2016) and Contentment with Life Assessment Scale (Lavallee et al., 2007) were used as data collection tools. As a result of the findings of the study, there was a significant difference between individual athletes and team athletes studying in Türkiye in motivation to participate in sports and this difference was in favor of team athletes (p<.05). As a result, female athlete university students' motives for participation in sports and adaptation in life were in favor of Türkiye, but their psychological well-being levels were against Türkiye. Although the psychological well-being levels of female athlete university students are in favor of Kenya, their motives for sports participation and harmony in life are against Kenya. In this case, it shows that there are issues that both countries should pay attention to in order for female university students to be better and more successful.