Impact of Motivation and Social Support on Elderly Engagement in Korean Archery: A TPB Approach

Abstract Through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study addresses key research gaps by investigating three primary objectives: (1) exploring the influence of participation motivation on attitudes; (2) examining the effects of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) on behavioral intention; and (3) analyzing the moderating role of social support in these associations. Survey data were collected from amateur Han-gung athletes participating in ten senior Han-gung tournaments in South Korea. To ensure measurement scale robustness, confirmatory factor analysis, assessing factor loadings, average variance extracted (AVE), and construct reliability (CR) were conducted, with Cronbach’s alpha confirming scale reliability. The findings reveal the significant impact of participation motivation on attitudes and the positive effects of attitudes and PBC on behavioral intention. Moreover, social support emerges as a moderator in the relationship between subjective norms and behavioral intention. Academically, this study enriches the TPB framework by incorporating social support as a moderator, while practically, it offers insights for sports organizers and policymakers seeking to promote participation and engagement in Han-gung, particularly among the elderly population.