Strategic Negotiation Factors Influencing Recreational Sport Participation and Urban Wellbeing

Physical activity in urban green environments contributes to both physical and psychological well-being. Although negotiation strategies help individuals overcome barriers to participation in recreational sport, their interaction with environmental factors such as urban green spaces remains underexplored. This study examines the relationship between negotiation strategies and well-being among urban residents and introduces "Green Commitment" to capture engagement with green exercise environments.

The sample consisted of 233 adults (28.8% men, 71.2% women) aged 19-77 years living in Athens. Data was collected using the Negotiation Strategies Scale (33 items across eleven dimensions) and an adapted PERMA Profiler, which assesses well-being across five dimensions: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. Six additional items measured engagement with urban green environments. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, ANOVA, MANOVA, and Pearson correlations were conducted using SPSS v.29.

The analysis confirmed satisfactory reliability and a five-factor structure of well-being, including Green Commitment, explaining 64.97% of total variance. Self-motivation recorded the highest mean value (M = 6.2). Significant positive correlations were found between most negotiation strategy dimensions and well-being, particularly for physical health and engagement-achievement (e.g., r = 0.469). Demographic differences were also observed.

Negotiation strategies facilitate participation in recreational sport and enhance well-being in urban populations. Engagement with urban green environments, reflected in Green Commitment, further supports these outcomes. The study offers an integrated framework linking behavioral strategies, environmental context, and well-being.