Lei Zhang’s research while affiliated with Renmin University of China and other places

A three-wave prospective study was conducted to provide a better understanding of the ability of the integrated model of self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to predict future physical activity (PA) engagement among adolescents. Nearly 2500 secondary school students from China were recruited to test the hypothesized pathway from autonomous motivation from SDT at baseline (T1) through the constructs of TPB one month later (T2) on leisure-time PA levels of secondary school students three months later (T3). The findings revealed that the structural equation models yielded excellent fit indices with χ2 = 1858.989, df = 257, CFI = 0.936, TLI = 0.926, RMSEA = 0.050 [90% CI = 0.048 to 0.052], and SRMR = 0.032. In particular, autonomous motivation at T1 was positively associated with attitude (R2 = 0.160), subjective norms (R2 = 0.160), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) (R2 = 0.173) at T2 (β = 0.395 to 0.414, p < 0.001) and subsequently associated with intention at T2 (R2 = 0.875, β = 0.112 to 0.478, p < 0.001). T2 intention was positively associated with leisure-time PA levels (R2 = 0.004) at T3. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the motivational mechanisms and social cognition processes involved in predicting adolescents’ leisure-time PA levels among adolescents.

This two-wave prospective study applied the Social Influence in Sport Model to investigate whether the social influences of parents, physical education (PE) teachers, and peers were predictive of students' intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity (PA). Participants were 2,484 secondary school students (11e18 years old) who completed a questionnaire assessing positive influence, punishment, and dysfunction from the three social agents (parents, PE teachers, and peers) at baseline, and PA intention at a 1-month follow-up. Structural equation modelling (SEM) yielded excellent goodness-of-fit and consistent pathways between the three social agents. Students' leisure-time PA intention (R2 1⁄4 .103 to 0.112) was positively associated with positive influence (b 1⁄4 .223 to 0.236, p < .001) and punishment (b 1⁄4 .214 to 0.256, p < .01), and negatively associated with dysfunction (b 1⁄4 - 0.281 to -.335, p < .001). Multi- group SEM showed that the predictions were invariant between parents, PE teachers, and peers. Furthermore, no significant differences in students' gender were found between perceived social influ- ence and PA intention. The findings supported the application of the Social Influence in Sport Model in explaining the role of significant others on students’ intention to take part in leisure-time PA.

This study applied self-determination theory (SDT) as a psychological framework to examine whether psychological need support and autonomous motivation are predictive of sports injury preventive behaviours and the incidence of sports injuries. 2042 secondary school students (mean age = 14.33, male = 44.3%) from China completed a survey of the study variables (using established scales) at three time points (baseline, 1-month follow-up, 3-month follow-up). Structural equation modelling examined the core tenets of SDT by testing if the change-scores of the SDT variables (i.e., psychological need support from PE teachers, students’ motivation, and students’ behavioural adherence) between baseline and 1-month follow-up, were predictive of sports injury incidence assessed at 3-month follow-up. Our model demonstrated acceptable goodness-of-fit parameters (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.03, and SRMR = 0.05). The relationships between psychological need support, autonomous motivation, and behavioural adherence were both positive and significant. These SDT variables predicted the future incidence of sports injuries following the motivational pathways of SDT. Our study provides evidence of the predictive power of SDT variables on sports injury preventive behaviours and the incidence of sports injuries: Students who perceive their PE teachers as psychological need supportive possess higher autonomous motivation and behavioural adherence towards sports injury prevention, and are also less likely to encounter sports injuries in the future. Keywords: Sports safety, sports injury prevention, psychological need support, autonomous motivation, physical education, physical activity.

Objectives: The present study examined reciprocal relations between autonomous motivation from self-determination theory (SDT) and constructs from the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in a sport injury context. Methods: The study adopted a three-wave longitudinal cross-lagged panel design. Physical education students in China (N = 4414; Mage = 14.42, SD = 1.75) completed self-report measures of autonomous motivation, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control with respect to sport injury prevention at baseline (T1) and at two follow-up occasions one (T2) and three (T3) months later. Proposed reciprocal relations between autonomous motivation and the TPB constructs controlling for construct stability over time were tested using structural equation modeling. Results: Three cross-lagged SEMs for effects of constructs measured at T1 on constructs measured at T2 and T3, and effects of constructs measured at T2 on constructs measured at T3 met goodness-of-fit criteria (CFI > .95, TLI > .94, RMSEA = .03, SRMR = .05) with consistent patterns of effects. Across the three models, autonomous motivation predicted the prospectively-measured TPB constructs with small-to-medium effect sizes (β range = .17 to .32, ps < .001), but associations between the TPB variables and prospectively-measured autonomous motivation were markedly smaller in size (β range = .01 to .18, ps range = .001 to .892). Conclusions: Findings provide initial support for the temporal ordering of the constructs in the integrated model of SDT and TPB in a sport injury context. Autonomous motivation from SDT is likely to be an antecedent of the constructs from the TPB.

The purpose of this three‐study paper was to develop and validate the Perceived Social Influence in Sport Scale‐2 (PSISS‐2) that aimed to resolve the limitations of PSISS‐1 in assessing the relative social influence of significant others in youth sport. In Study 1, a pool of 60 items generated from revisiting a qualitative dataset about significant others of young athletes were examined by two expert panel reviews in terms of content validity, clarity, coverage, and age‐appropriateness, leading to the development of 16 items of the PSISS‐2. In Study 2, multi‐group exploratory structural equation model for PSISS‐2 was conducted among 904 young athletes, and the results supported a model comprising positive influence (i.e., conditional and unconditional positive influence combined), punishment (i.e., conditional negative influence), and dysfunction (i.e., unconditional negative influence) as three factors. The goodness of fit of the three‐factor‐model was acceptable and invariant across the coach‐, father‐, mother‐, and teammates‐versions of PSISS‐2. In support of the criterion validity of PSISS‐2, the three factors explained substantial variance of young athletes’ perceived competence, effort, enjoyment, and trait anxiety in sport. Study 3 examined the relationship between PSISS‐2 factors, psychological need support, and controlling behaviours in a sub‐sample of 452 young athletes, and the findings supported the concurrent validity and discriminant validity of the scale. In conclusion, the data is supportive of PSISS‐2. The three factors of the scale (i.e., positive influence, punishment, and dysfunction) may form a new framework for understanding and comparing the relative role of significant others in youth sport. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.