Measuring Exercise Motivation in Türkiye: Psychometric Evaluation of the Exercise Motivation and Gains Inventory

This study aimed to adapt the Exercise Motivation and Gains Inventory (EMGI) for use in the Turkish context and to evaluate its psychometric properties. The study sample consisted of 197 undergraduate students (aged 18–26 years; 72 females and 125 males). The EMGI comprises 51 items distributed across 14 subscales, rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from “not at all true for me” (0) to “very true for me” (4). Validity and reliability analyses were conducted separately for both the motivation and gains inventories, and factor analyses were performed to examine the relationships between these two dimensions. After the exclusion of outliers, analyses addressing linguistic equivalence, content validity, construct validity, and convergent and discriminant validity were carried out. The back- translation method was used to ensure linguistic equivalence, and Lawshe’s (1975) method was applied to assess content validity. Construct validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and model fit indices were calculated to evaluate the factorial structure. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed through Average Variance Extracted (AVE), Composite Reliability (CR), MaxR(H) coefficients, inter-factor correlations, and Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio analyses. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were computed to evaluate internal consistency reliability. The findings indicated that both the motivation and gains inventories demonstrated satisfactory levels of validity and reliability. This study introduces a culturally adapted and psychometrically sound measurement tool into the Turkish literature, providing a robust foundation for future research exploring the relationships between exercise motivation, perceived gains, and psychological well-being, as well as their implications for exercise participation behaviors in Türkiye.