Examining Autotelic Personality and Exercise Addiction in Individuals Engaging in Fitness and Pilates Exercise
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71350/ijpanh.40Keywords:
Autothelic Personality, Recreational Activity, Exercise AddictionAbstract
This study aimed to examine autotelic personality traits and exercise addiction levels among individuals participating in fitness and Pilates exercises. In total, 307 adults exercising in fitness and Pilates centers in Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye, participated in the study (mean ± SD; age: 26.58 ± 7.71 years; range: 18–55 years), including 146 males (47.6%) and 161 females (52.4%). Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Exercise Addiction Scale, and the Autotelic Personality Scale. Overall, 97.7% of participants were classified in the risky, addicted, or high-risk exercise addiction groups. Total exercise addiction scores differed significantly by gender, with higher mean scores observed in females than males (59.29 ± 11.09 vs. 55.40 ± 10.84; p = 0.002). Exercise addiction also differed according to weekly exercise frequency, with participants exercising 3–4 days and ≥5 days per week showing higher scores than those exercising 1–2 days per week (p < 0.05). Autotelic personality scores differed according to weekly exercise frequency, with higher scores observed in participants exercising ≥5 days per week compared with those exercising 1–2 days per week (5.22 ± 0.66 vs. 4.81 ± 0.78; p = 0.002). Significant relationships were found between several autotelic personality dimensions and exercise addiction sub-dimensions (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that autotelic personality traits may be associated with exercise addiction tendencies in individuals participating in fitness and Pilates exercises.
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