{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T10:05:23Z","timestamp":1789985123823,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789776000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Building on Duda\u2019s hierarchical approach, this study examined gender differences in students\u2019 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 \u00b1 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\u2013SPA coefficient was higher among boys, whereas the inverse positive self-esteem\u2013SPA 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16091686","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T09:01:38Z","timestamp":1789981298000},"page":"1686","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["(Dis-)Empowering Motivational Climate and Social Physique Anxiety in Physical Education: Is There a Gender Difference?"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1385-8386","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Granero-Gallegos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Education and Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luis M.","family":"Salmer\u00f3n-Hinojosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Education and Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5735-4908","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Carrasco-Poyatos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Education and Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7761-0865","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gin\u00e9s D.","family":"L\u00f3pez-Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Education and Health Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain"},{"name":"Higher Institute of Teaching University Centre, University of Murcia, 30003 Murcia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"502","article-title":"Influence of internal and external controlling teaching behaviors on students\u2019 motivational outcomes in physical education: Is there a gender difference?","volume":"41","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Teaching in Physical Education"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1158","DOI":"10.1037\/edu0000783","article-title":"A classification system for teachers\u2019 motivational behaviors recommended in self-determination theory interventions","volume":"115","author":"Ahmadi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Educational Psychology"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0663.84.3.261","article-title":"Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation","volume":"84","author":"Ames","year":"1992","journal-title":"Journal of Educational Psychology"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2016.06.007","article-title":"Examining the interactive effects of coach-created empowering and disempowering climate dimensions on athletes\u2019 health and functioning","volume":"26","author":"Appleton","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"29","article-title":"An\u00e1lisis de la dimensionalidad de la Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg en una muestra de adolescentes valencianos","volume":"XXII","author":"Atienza","year":"2000","journal-title":"Revista de Psicolog\u00eda Universitas Tarraconensis"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.25115\/ecp.v18i38.10475","article-title":"Effect of a gamified intermittent programming unit on enjoyment in Secondary School pupils in the physical education","volume":"18","year":"2025","journal-title":"Espiral. 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