Behavior Regulation Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2)

Abstract

The Behavior Regulation Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2) is a widely used psychological instrument designed to assess an individual’s motivation for engaging in physical exercise. Developed as a revision of the original BREQ, the BREQ-2 specifically incorporated a measure of amotivation, aligning its structure more closely with the continuum proposed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This scale differentiates between various types of behavioral regulation, ranging from non-self-determined (amotivation and external regulation) to highly self-determined (intrinsic motivation), providing a nuanced understanding of why individuals choose, or fail, to exercise.

Keywords

BREQ-2, Behavior Regulation, Exercise Motivation, Self-Determination Theory, Amotivation, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Sport Psychology.

Authors

David Markland, Victoria Tobin.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the BREQ-2 is to quantify the degree to which an individual’s participation in exercise is regulated by different motivational styles, as conceptualized within the framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). By measuring these distinct regulatory styles, researchers and practitioners can better understand the underlying psychological drivers that predict adherence to exercise programs and overall physical activity behavior.

The secondary purpose, and the key modification from the original BREQ, was the inclusion of items specifically assessing amotivation. This addition ensures a comprehensive assessment across the entire motivational continuum, allowing for the calculation of the Relative Autonomy Index (RAI), a global score of self-determined motivation.

Construct

The BREQ-2 measures five distinct types of behavioral regulation related to exercise, all derived from the continuum of Self-Determination Theory. These factors capture the quality, rather than just the quantity, of motivation, moving from non-regulation to fully autonomous regulation.

The five measured factors are:

• Amotivation: Represents a lack of intent or desire to engage in exercise, often due to a perceived lack of value or competence.
• External Regulation: Behavior is controlled by external rewards or punishments (e.g., exercising because others insist).
• Introjected Regulation: Behavior is regulated by internal pressure, such as feelings of guilt or shame (e.g., exercising to avoid feeling bad).
• Identified Regulation: Behavior is performed because the individual personally values the outcomes and goals of exercise (e.g., exercising for health benefits).
• Intrinsic Motivation: Behavior is performed purely for the inherent pleasure and satisfaction derived from the activity itself (e.g., exercising because it is fun).

Validity

The original research supporting the BREQ-2 by Markland and Tobin (2004) demonstrated strong evidence for its factorial validity. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the 19 items appropriately load onto the five hypothesized subscales (Amotivation, External, Introjected, Identified, and Intrinsic Regulation). This five-factor structure is consistent with the theoretical postulates of the Self-Determination Theory continuum.

Furthermore, the scale exhibits strong construct validity through its ability to predict relevant behavioral outcomes, such as adherence and persistence in physical exercise. The calculated Relative Autonomy Index (RAI), which weights the subscales according to their position on the autonomy continuum, consistently correlates positively with measures of exercise engagement, providing robust support for the theoretical underpinning of the instrument.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the BREQ-2 subscales is generally high, as measured by Cronbach’s alpha coefficients reported during the development of the modification. These reliability estimates confirm that the items within each factor cohere well, providing stable measures of the respective regulatory styles.

The reported internal consistency values are:

• Amotivation: 0.83
• External Regulation: 0.79
• Introjected Regulation: 0.80
• Identified Regulation: 0.73
• Intrinsic Motivation Regulation: 0.86

These values indicate acceptable to strong internal consistency across all subscales, suggesting reliable measurement, particularly for Intrinsic Motivation and Amotivation.

Factor Analysis

The development of the BREQ-2 utilized confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to establish its dimensional structure. The analysis confirmed the hypothesized five-factor model, supporting the differentiation between the five motivational regulations: Amotivation, External Regulation, Introjected Regulation, Identified Regulation, and Intrinsic Motivation. This structure represents a significant theoretical improvement over the original BREQ, which only included four factors, by fully representing the motivational continuum.

The item groupings for the factors are detailed as follows:

• Amotivation (items: 5, 9, 12, and 19)
• External Regulation (items: 1, 6, 11, and 16)
• Introjected Regulation (items: 2, 7, and 13)
• Identified Regulation (items: 3, 8, 14, and 17)
• Intrinsic Motivation Regulation (items: 4, 10, 15, and 18)

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, psychological assessment scale.

Format: 19 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 = “not true for me” to 4 = “very true for me.”

Language Available: Primarily English; various translations (e.g., Spanish, French, German) have been validated in subsequent studies across different cultures.

Population Group: General population, specializing in individuals engaged in or considering physical exercise and sport.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Population Details: The scale is typically used with adult samples, including university students, community members, and those participating in recreational or competitive exercise activities.

Test Methodology: The scale yields five distinct subscale scores. These scores are often combined using a weighted formula to generate the Relative Autonomy Index (RAI), which serves as a single continuous measure reflecting the overall level of self-determination in exercise behavior. The RAI formula is: RAI = (-3 * Amotivation) + (-2 * External regulation) + (-1 * Introjected regulation) + (+2 * Identified regulation) + (+3 * Intrinsic regulation).

The original PDF detailing the scale can be downloaded here: http://journals.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/Documents/DocumentItem/3026.pdf

Keywords

RAI, Relative Autonomy Index, Behavioral Regulation, Self-Determination, Sport Psychology, Exercise Adherence, Motivation Measurement, Psychological Assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source content.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The BREQ-2 is widely considered an open-access instrument for non-commercial academic research. Researchers are encouraged to cite the original publication when using the scale. Formal requests for commercial use or modification may require consultation with the original authors.

Test Year: 2004 (Publication of BREQ-2 modification).

Reference’s

• Markland, D., & Tobin, V. (2004). A modification to the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire to include an assessment of amotivation. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 26, 191–196.
• Scoring details available at: http://pages.bangor.ac.uk/~pes004/exercise_motivation/breq/brqscore.htm
• Instrument details available at: http://pages.bangor.ac.uk/~pes004/exercise_motivation/breq/breq.htm

Items of the Behavior Regulation Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. I exercise because other people say I should

2. I feel guilty when I don’t exercise

3. I value the benefits of exercise

4. I exercise because it’s fun

5. I don’t see why I should have to exercise

6. I take part in exercise because my friends/family/partner say I should

7. I feel ashamed when I miss an exercise session

8. It’s important to me to exercise regularly

9. I can’t see why I should bother exercising

10. I enjoy my exercise sessions

11. I exercise because others will not be pleased with me if I don’t

12. I don’t see the point in exercising

13. I feel like a failure when I haven’t exercised in a while

14. I think it is important to make the effort to exercise regularly

15. I find exercise a pleasurable activity

16. I feel under pressure from my friends/family to exercise

17. I get restless if I don’t exercise regularly

18. I get pleasure and satisfaction from participating in exercise

19. I think exercising is a waste of time