exercise motivation

Purpose To investigate the longitudinal relationship between university students’ subjective exercise experiences and their physical exercise behavior using a cross-lagged research design, and to analyze the moderating role of motivational beliefs in this relationship. Methods A one-year, two-stage longitudinal questionnaire survey was conducted among 422 university students in Jiangxi Province (52.6% male, mean age = 18.29 ± 0.632 years) using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale, the Adolescent Physical Activity Scale, the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale and the Perceived Value of Exercise Scale. Results (1) Gender differences were observed in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior across the two phases; male participants scored higher on average than female participants across all measures. (2) There was a significant positive correlation between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students. (3) Results from a cross-lagged model controlling for gender indicated that subjective exercise experience at T1 significantly and positively predicted physical exercise behavior at T2 ( β = 0.385, p < 0.001), and physical exercise behavior at T1 significantly and positively predicted subjective exercise experience at T2 ( β = 0.336, p < 0.001). (4) Motivational beliefs exerted a significant positive moderating effect on both cross-lagged pathways. Conclusion Gender differences exist in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students; there is a longitudinal relationship across time between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior; and motivational beliefs exert a significant moderating effect on the prospective predictive pathways between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior.

Background Most person-centered research on exercise motivation has identified static profiles, leaving unclear how motivational configurations change over time, what psychological experiences are associated with those changes, and whether transitions predict subsequent exercise. This study examined the short-term mobility of exercise-regulation profiles, psychological-need predictors of specific transitions, and their prospective associations with later leisure-time exercise. Methods A three-wave prospective study followed 1,780 students from six Chinese colleges at approximately 4-week intervals. Exercise regulation, exercise-specific psychological need satisfaction and frustration, and leisure-time exercise were assessed at each wave. Continuous-indicator latent transition analysis identified longitudinal motivational profiles and transition probabilities. Posterior-probability-weighted models examined origin-wave need satisfaction and frustration as predictors of eligible transitions and tested whether first-interval transitions were associated with final-wave exercise after prior exercise was considered. Results Six profiles were retained: amotivated–controlled, low-regulation, mixed intrinsic–controlled, identified-dominant, intrinsic-dominant, and high autonomous–introjected. Overall profile stability was substantial but incomplete, with 76.9 and 73.8% of posterior transition mass remaining on the stability diagonal across the two intervals. The largest off-diagonal transition was from low regulation to high autonomous–introjected motivation (18.0 and 20.1%). After Holm correction, greater need satisfaction was associated with lower odds of moving from intrinsic-dominant or high autonomous–introjected motivation to low regulation (odds ratios = 0.47–0.49), whereas greater need frustration was associated with lower odds of moving from low regulation to identified- or intrinsic-dominant profiles (odds ratios = 0.41–0.62). In models controlling baseline exercise, movement from amotivated–controlled or low regulation to high autonomous–introjected motivation was associated with greater subsequent exercise, whereas several transitions toward less internalized configurations were associated with lower exercise. After additional adjustment for exercise measured at the transition endpoint, only the low-regulation-to-high autonomous–introjected transition remained significant. Conclusion Exercise motivation was substantially stable yet meaningfully mobile over short periods. Psychological-need experiences were associated with specific, origin-dependent motivational transitions, and selected transitions prospectively differentiated later exercise behavior. The findings support a dynamic and state-dependent view of exercise motivation and suggest that the psychological conditions relevant to maintaining internalized motivation may differ from those involved in moving out of low regulation.

Objective Running applications provide feedback, goal setting, rewards, and social interaction, yet app use is often discussed as though it directly improves objective performance. This study tested a sport psychology model linking running-app engagement to perceived training gains via perceived motivational affordances and runner motivation. Methods A quantitative, cross-sectional online survey was completed by 206 adult running-app users. Twenty-five five-point indicators were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. A two-step assessment examined the measurement model and then the structural model, including direct, specific indirect, and total effects. Common-method considerations, construct-level cross-validated prediction, and three sensitivity analyses were also evaluated. Results Engagement was positively associated with motivational affordances (β = 0.707), motivation (β = 0.401), and perceived training gains (β = 0.401). Motivational affordances were positively associated with motivation (β = 0.496), and motivation was positively associated with perceived training gains (β = 0.499); all 95% bootstrap confidence intervals excluded zero. The indirect effect of engagement on perceived training gains through motivation was β = 0.200, while the sequential engagement–affordances–motivation–gains indirect effect was β = 0.175. The model explained 68.8% of the variance in motivation and 71.1% of the variance in perceived training gains. Conclusion Runners who integrated an app more strongly into their training also reported greater perceived motivational value, motivation, and training gains. Positive statistical indirect associations linked engagement to perceived training gains via runner motivation and the sequentially specified affordance–motivation route. Given the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported perceived gains, these findings support an associational rather than causal interpretation.

Objective Individual differences in tendencies to approach or avoid physical effort may be relevant to exercise-related psychological and behavioral characteristics. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese Physical Effort Scale (PES) and investigated individual differences in physical-effort approach and avoidance tendencies and their associations with exercise-related psychological and behavioral variables among Chinese university students. Methods Participants were 1,273 students from six universities across eastern, central, and western China. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability and validity analyses, and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis were used to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance of the Chinese PES. Latent profile analysis identified configurations of physical effort approach and avoidance, and BCH analyses compared profiles on emotion regulation, exercise motivation, and physical activity. Results Factor analyses supported a two-factor structure comprising physical effort approach and avoidance. The scale showed high internal consistency and test–retest reliability, with evidence supporting convergent and discriminant validity and metric and scalar invariance across gender and academic year. Three profiles were identified: Balanced (59.07%), Avoidance-Oriented (14.93%), and Approach-Oriented (26.00%). The Approach-Oriented profile showed higher cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, external regulation, introjected regulation, and autonomous regulation, and lower amotivation. It also showed higher total physical activity than the other profiles and higher weekly exercise frequency than the Balanced profile. Conclusion The Chinese PES showed psychometric support among Chinese university students. Distinct configurations of physical effort approach and avoidance were associated with emotion regulation, exercise motivation, and physical activity.

هدف: تفاوت‌های فردی در گرایش به رویکرد یا اجتناب از تلاش بدنی ممکن است با ویژگی‌های روان‌شناختی و رفتاری مرتبط با ورزش ارتباط داشته باشد. این پژوهش ویژگی‌های روان‌سنجی مقیاس تلاش بدنی چینی (PES) را بررسی کرده و تفاوت‌های فردی در گرایش‌های رویکرد و اجتناب از تلاش بدنی و ارتباط آن‌ها با متغیرهای روان‌شناختی و رفتاری مرتبط با ورزش را در میان دانشجویان دانشگاه‌های چین مورد مطالعه قرار داد. روش‌ها: شرکت‌کنندگان شامل ۱۲۷۳ دانشجو از شش دانشگاه در مناطق شرقی، مرکزی و غربی چین بودند. برای ارزیابی ساختار عاملی، پایایی، روایی و ناوری اندازه‌گیری مقیاس PES چینی، تحلیل عاملی اکتشافی و تأییدی، تحلیل‌های پایایی و روایی و تحلیل عاملی تأییدی چندگروهی به کار رفت. تحلیل پروفایل پنهان برای شناسایی الگوهای رویکرد و اجتناب از تلاش بدنی و تحلیل‌های BCH برای مقایسه پروفایل‌ها بر اساس تنظیم هیجان، انگیزش ورزشی و فعالیت بدنی استفاده شد. یافته‌ها: تحلیل‌های عاملی ساختار دو عاملی شامل رویکرد و اجتناب از تلاش بدنی را تأیید کردند. مقیاس از انسجام درونی و پایایی بازآزمایی بالایی برخوردار بود و شواهدی از روایی همگرا و واگرا و ناوری متریک و اسکلار در بین جنسیت و سال تحصیلی ارائه شد. سه پروفایل شناسایی شد: متعادل (۵۹/۰۷٪)، گرایش به اجتناب (۱۴/۹۳٪) و گرایش به رویکرد (۲۶/۰۰٪). پروفایل گرایش به رویکرد، بازارزیابی شناختی، سرکوبگری بیانی، تنظیم بیرونی، تنظیم درون‌فکنی‌شده و تنظیم خودمختار بالاتر و بی‌انگیزگی پایین‌تری را نشان داد. همچنین این پروفایل نسبت به سایر پروفایل‌ها فعالیت بدنی کل و نسبت به پروفایل متعادل، فراوانی هفتگی ورزش بیشتری داشت. نتیجه‌گیری: مقیاس PES چینی در میان دانشجویان دانشگاه‌های چین از حمایت روان‌سنجی برخوردار بود. الگوهای متمایز رویکرد و اجتناب از تلاش بدنی با تنظیم هیجان، انگیزش ورزشی و فعالیت بدنی مرتبط بودند.