Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 2, 2025
06:13
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Impact of Reduced Resistance Exercise Volume on Metabolic Health
Published on: December 1, 2023
1.2K
Linking Exercise Intention to Exercise Action: The Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy
Bin Hou1, Linqian Li2, Lei Zheng3
1School of Public Administration, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|August 1, 2022
Summary
Promoting physical exercise in college students is key for their well-being. This study found that planning mediates the link between intention and action, with self-efficacy strengthening this effect.
Area of Science:
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Physical exercise offers significant physical and psychological benefits for college students.
- Promoting regular exercise habits is crucial for this demographic.
- The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model provides a framework for understanding health behavior change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the intention-action link in physical exercise among college students using the HAPA model.
- To examine the mediating role of planning (coping and action) in the intention-behavior relationship.
- To determine the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the exercise intention-action pathway.
Main Methods:
- A six-wave longitudinal survey was administered to 242 university students in China.
- Data analysis focused on mediation and moderation effects within the HAPA framework.
- The study examined the relationships between exercise intention, planning, and actual exercise behavior.
Main Results:
- Exercise intention was positively associated with both coping and action planning.
- Planning demonstrated a time-lagged mediation effect between intention and exercise action.
- Self-efficacy significantly moderated the intention-planning and planning-action relationships, strengthening them in high self-efficacy individuals.
Conclusions:
- Planning is a critical mediator in translating exercise intention into action among college students.
- Self-efficacy plays a vital role in enhancing the effectiveness of planning for exercise behavior.
- Findings can inform targeted health promotion strategies to increase physical activity in university populations.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
18.4K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
18.4K
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
39.9K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
39.9K
01:27Exercise and Muscle Performance
1.6K
Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
1.6K
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.3K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.3K
01:30Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
62
Adopting a healthier lifestyle often requires overcoming significant challenges, but leveraging psychological, social, and cultural resources can facilitate meaningful change. Effective self-change hinges on understanding and applying key tools such as motivation and goal setting, which help sustain efforts toward long-term health benefits.
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
62
01:27Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation
538
Clark Hull's drive-reduction theory, introduced in the 1940s and 1950s and often termed the "push theory" of motivation, provides a framework for understanding how biological and learned drives influence behavior. Hull suggested that motivation originates from the need to alleviate physiological tension caused by unmet biological necessities. The theory proposes that when a basic need, such as hunger or sleep, goes unfulfilled, it creates an internal imbalance. This imbalance, or...
538