Measuring student motivation for physical education: examining the psychometric properties of the Perceived Locus of Causality Questionnaire and the Situational Motivation Scale
OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, within a cross-cultural context, the
psychometric properties of scores derived from the Perceived Locus of Causality
Questionnaire (PLOCQ) and the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Both questionnaires
are grounded in self-determination theory and are commonly employed in physical education
research.
METHOD. Secondary school students from the United Kingdom (UK; n = 300, mean age =
13.71) and Hong Kong (HK; n = 342, mean age = 15.34 years) completed both
questionnaires prior to a physical education lesson.
RESULTS. Internal consistency analyses, as well as single and multi-group confirmatory factor
analyses produced evidence that largely supported the reliability and validity of PLOCQ and
SIMS scores in the UK sample. However, the analyses indicated some areas of concern
regarding the internal consistency of the external and introjected regulation PLOCQ items in
the HK sample. Also, identified regulation and intrinsic motivation constructs were not
distinguishable by youth in either culture in either questionnaire. Finally, compared with the
UK, students in HK interpreted the SIMS external regulation items to be more selfdetermined.
CONCLUSIONS. Researchers interested in studying contextual and situational motivation in UK
physical education classes should, in general, feel confident in using the PLOCQ and the
SIMS, respectively. However, our results highlight some important difficulties in the
measurement of contextual and situational motivation in HK Chinese students. Further
research is needed to better understand how students from different cultures respond to items
intended to tap controlling forms of motivation