Research Report: What sways women to play sport? – Motivations & Influencers

This report uses a behaviour change model to identify opportunities for sport to make better use of influence figures in order to get more women and girls participating.

Report Contents:

  • What do we mean by influencers?
  • Behavioural science concepts.
  • What do ‘Sway Factors’ mean?
  • Case studies.
A black teenage girl with braided hair running

In the summer we have to do a 1.5 km run and I hate it and want to quit, but thinking about that women who climbed Mount Everest, who didn’t quit, makes you want to finish

Key findings

  • The roles that families, peers, local communities, specific sports communities and culture/society generally play varies at different times in a woman’s life and can include both triggers and barriers to her sporting participation.
  • The behavioural model identifies six key ‘spheres of influence’ and shows sway factors that affect women’s sporting behaviour.
A white woman aged 35-45 playing hockey with her local club

Recommendations

Influencers can be anyone and everyone

  • It is not just those who are ‘sporty’ who influence others to participate in sport.

Influencers impact participation behaviour

  • Influencers impact participation behaviour in different ways and in different contexts.
  • A multi-pronged approach is required – the actions of different types of influencers should complement one another across the various contextual layers.

The new model of influence can be used to impact participation behaviour

  • The ‘sway factors’ are complimentary and work best in combination with each other; each factor becomes more transformative at a different point along the behaviour change journey and then continues to impact participation positively.

Women’s influencers evolve over time

Recommended links and resources

Help us to keep driving change

Women in Sport’s research is open to everyone.

It has been used by major brands, broadcasters, policymakers and educators to drive progress – but producing it isn’t free.

If our research has informed your work, please get in touch to let us know the impact it’s had and consider making a donation today.

1.9 million

fewer women than men play sport once per week

Sport England

1 in 5

women exercise for less than an average of 30 minutes per week

Sport England, 2020