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February 27, 2026Frontiers in PsychologyOpen Access

The effect of basic psychological needs in physical education on exercise behavior in young adulthood: the mediating role of self-efficacy and moderated role of gender

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Authors

XLXuening LiNanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsDWDonghai WangBeijing University of TechnologyWXWeijun XieNanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications

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Implication

A cross-sectional survey examines exercise behavior in young adults, highlighting self-efficacy and gender differences.

Key Points

  • The research aims to explore how satisfying basic psychological needs in physical education impacts exercise behavior in young adulthood, and the roles of self-efficacy and gender.
  • Conducted a cross-sectional survey with 3,188 students aged 18 to 21 years.
  • Measured basic psychological needs, self-efficacy, and exercise behavior using questionnaires.
  • Utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze mediating and moderating roles.
  • Males reported higher scores in competence, autonomy, relatedness, self-efficacy, and exercise behavior compared to females.
  • All associations related to gender differences were statistically significant.
  • The three basic psychological needs directly correlated with exercise behavior, with self-efficacy acting as a mediator.
  • Significant gender differences were observed; competence need's effect was weaker for females while autonomy's was stronger.

Cite This Study

Li et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a1344fed1d949a99abe203https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1757499
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