Parental expectations for physical activity and adolescents’ exercise behavior: a chain mediation of basic psychological needs and exercise motivation moderated by gender
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Parental expectations play a key role in shaping adolescents’ health behaviors, yet the mechanisms linking them to exercise behavior remain insufficiently understood. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Expectancy-Value Model, this study tests a chain mediation model in which parental expectations for physical activity are associated with adolescents’ exercise behavior through basic psychological need satisfaction and exercise motivation, with gender as a moderator. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 518 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 15.32 years, S D = 1.74; 50.4% female) from four middle schools in Henan Province, China. Participants completed measures of perceived parental expectations for physical activity, basic psychological need satisfaction in exercise (BPNSS), the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Chain mediation and gender moderation were tested with structural equation and multi-group modeling. Results Parental expectations were associated with adolescents’ exercise behavior both directly ( β = 0.11, p < 0.01) and indirectly [total indirect effect β = 0.13, 95% CI (0.08, 0.17)], including the sequential pathway through basic psychological need satisfaction and autonomous exercise motivation [ β = 0.04, 95% CI (0.02, 0.05)]. The total indirect effect accounted for 52.6% of the total effect, with the chain-specific pathway accounting for 15.7%. The chain-mediated indirect effect was stronger for males [effect = 0.06, 95% CI (0.03, 0.09)] than females [effect = 0.02, 95% CI (0.01, 0.04)]; the between-group difference was 0.04, 95% bootstrap CI [0.01, 0.07]. Females reported higher perceived parental expectations ( d = −0.26) and autonomous motivation ( d = −0.22), yet the motivational pathway linking parental expectations to exercise behavior was stronger among males. Conclusion Basic psychological need satisfaction and autonomous exercise motivation constitute two interlinked motivational mechanisms that statistically account for the association between parental expectations and adolescents’ exercise behavior, and this pathway was stronger among males. Because the data are cross-sectional, these findings represent associations compatible with the proposed theoretical sequence rather than demonstrated causal effects. Heightened expectations alone may be insufficient; fostering need satisfaction and autonomous motivation may be important for sustained exercise engagement, particularly among female adolescents.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Author: Shikai Feng
Institution: Xinyang Normal University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
Funder: Xinyang Normal University
OpenAlex ID: W7222945849