(Dis-)Empowering Motivational Climate and Social Physique Anxiety in Physical Education: Is There a Gender Difference?

Background: Building on Duda’s hierarchical approach, this study examined gender differences in students’ perceptions of (dis-)empowering motivational climates, self-esteem and social physique anxiety in the physical education context. Furthermore, it analysed the associations of (dis-)empowering climates with these self-presentation-related outcomes among boys and girls. Methods: A total of 2438 Spanish Physical Education students (Mage = 16.15 ± 2.01; 50.74% girls) participated in this cross-sectional research. A multi-group structural equation modeling approach was used to answer the research objectives. Results: Girls scored significantly higher than boys in negative self-esteem and social physique anxiety. The multi-group structural equation modeling showed slightly higher coefficients among boys for the associations between empowering climate and positive self-esteem and between disempowering climate and negative self-esteem. The negative self-esteem–SPA coefficient was higher among boys, whereas the inverse positive self-esteem–SPA coefficient was higher among girls. Conclusions: The main findings underscore the relevance of PE teachers creating empowering climates and avoiding disempowering climates, given their associations with positive self-esteem and social physique anxiety among boys and girls.