Mood state, motivation and impulsivity of students that participated in youth school games

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the mood, motivation and impulsivity of student-students participating in Youth School games and their analysis between genders. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by 147 students aged 12 to 17 years (14.53 ± 1.51 years; 51,70% male). The following scales were used: 1) Brunel Mood Scale; 2) Motivation for Measured Physical Activity reviewed and 3) Impulsive Behavior Scale. For comparison between the groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used and the effect size was calculated by means of Cohen d. The results showed that female schoolchildren had higher scores of anxiety, anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, lack of perseverance and premeditation. On the other hand, male schoolchildren presented higher scores in appearance and health, being more motivated by extrinsic  factors in relation to the female sex. Therefore, it is suggested that training strategies be adapted according to gender, in view of their respective characteristics.