Exploring Gender Differences in Psychological Motivation and Effectiveness Evaluation for College Sports Adherence

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A questionnaire survey involved 782 Chinese college students, 335 males and 447 females. Data were analyzed using multiple regression, revealing the positive impact of psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation on promoting adherence to sports activities. Findings indicate that gender significantly influences the psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation that affect students' commitment to physical education and sports. Male students demonstrated greater adherence to sports, driven by socialization and fun motivation, whereas female students prioritized the evaluative aspects of physical appearance and health. These insights underscore the necessity for tailored physical education strategies that cater to the distinct needs of gender-diverse students, thereby fostering ongoing engagement and adherence to physical activities. sports adherence gender psychological motivation effectiveness evaluation physical education Figures Figure 1 Article Highlights Positive effects of psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation in promoting sports adherence among college students Gender directly determines differences in psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation and makes the effects of these factors on sport adherence gender-specific. Boys scored higher on motivation to seek social interaction and have fun, while girls scored higher on motivation to seek improvement in appearance, reflecting gender in psychological motivation. Regarding effectiveness evaluation, male students were more likely to emphasize the positive effects of health and socialization. In contrast, female students placed more emphasis on improvements in appearance and health, a difference that is instructive for the development of physical education strategies. Emphasize the need to implement gender-sensitive teaching strategies in college physical education to promote continued student participation and persistence in physical activity, thereby increasing the overall utility of physical education classes. Background Physical activity significantly enhances physical health, mental well-being, social interaction, and personal development (Singh, 2018). Key factors influencing adherence include psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation (Moradi et al., 2020). Psychological motivation is the intrinsic drive to participate in sports, while effectiveness evaluation is the subjective assessment of participation outcomes, both influenced by gender (Polo-Peña et al., 2021). Considered a socio-cultural variable, gender encompasses more than just biological differences; it also includes the roles, behaviors, expectations, and norms that society and culture attribute to individuals based on their gender. These socio-cultural influences shape individuals' motivations, attitudes, and behaviors in various contexts, including sports (Eagly & Wood, 2012). For example, societal expectations often encourage males to engage in competitive and physically demanding activities, while females may be encouraged to focus on appearance and health-related activities (Levant, 2008). Of particular note, gender plays a complex and multidimensional role in physical activity adherence. Research has shown that there are significant differences between men and women in terms of their motivation for physical activity, their preferences, and their evaluations of the effectiveness of exercise. These differences are critical for the development of effective intervention strategies to increase the attractiveness of physical activity and sustainable participation (Apollo et al., 2023). Research on sports participation motivation and evaluation from a gender perspective is limited, particularly among college students (Moradi et al., 2020; Jiang et al., 2021). College years are critical for forming lifestyle habits, making it important to understand how gender impacts psychosocial motivation and evaluation in sports to develop effective physical education strategies (Shuang & Qiu, 2021). This study investigates how gender affects college students' psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation of sports and how these factors promote sports adherence, using data from 782 Chinese college students. We hypothesize that gender influences psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation, thereby affecting sports adherence. The findings aim to inform gender-sensitive teaching strategies to enhance continuous participation in physical activity. The importance of adherence in sport and its effects Sport adherence, The continued participation in physical activity, is vital for developing lifelong sports behavior (González-Serrano, et al., 2020). For college students, it enhances physical fitness, mental health, social skills, and cognitive abilities. Regular sports participation improves cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and endurance, reducing the risk of chronic diseases(Leppel, 2005).It also improves sleep quality and immune function (Zhao et al., 2023). Mentally, physical activity reduces stress and anxiety, enhances emotional stability, and boosts self-efficacy and self-esteem (Pulido et al., 2014). Socially, team sports and social activities enhance social skills, teamwork, and leadership ༈Scheerder et al., 2005༉. Cognitively, regular physical activity improves attention, memory, and executive functions. (Eeckhout et al., 2012). Despite the benefits, college students face challenges such as time management issues, lack of motivation, and inadequate facilities, which hinder sustained participation. Understanding and promoting physical activity adherence, particularly considering gender differences, is crucial in education and public health. Evaluation of psychological motivation and effects of physical activity According to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) proposed by Ryan and Deci (2000), motivation encompasses both external and intrinsic motivation. The external motivations that arise from an individual's participation in sports are driven by external factors such as rewards or social recognition, while intrinsic motivations refers to the inherent desire to engage in an activity for the sake of the activity itself, driven by enjoyment and satisfaction, fulfilling needs such as recreation, hobbies, fitness, improving body shape, and establishing social relationships (Ryan & Deci, 2000; Sotos-Martínez et al., 2024). Psychological motivation, in the context of this study, primarily refers to intrinsic motivation, which refers to the internal push that motivates an individual to act towards a specific goal (Ryan & Deci, 2000). In physical activity, this motivation is related to why individuals start participating in sports and affects their continued participation and persistence level( Li et al., 2013). For example, according to SDT, intrinsic motivation is driven by interest in and enjoyment of the activity itself, and people are willing to and persist in competitive and challenging sports because they experience a sense of accomplishment, competence, and enjoyment, among other things, in dealing with the challenges and competition (Ryan & Deci, 2000;Deci & Ryan, 1985). In the classic literature related to kinesiology, the promotion of intrinsic motivation is a function of sport, and participation in sport itself can satisfy an individual's needs in the five dimensions of health, appearance, competence, fun, and socialization (Allender et al., 2006). Studies indicate that gender significantly influences psychological motivation, with males often motivated by social, competition and challenge, while females focus on health, appearance, and social aspects (Almagro et al., 2020; Wang & Demerin, 2023). SDT explains that the type and quality of motivation critically affect sustained sports participation (Chiu et al., 2023; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Effectiveness evaluation refers to an individual's cognitive and affective assessment of the consequences of participating in an activity (Rasberry et al., 2011). In sports, effectuation involves participants' subjective evaluation of their participation's physical, psychological, and social effects (Eather et al., 2023). Such evaluations are essential for understanding participants' motivations and behaviors for sustained participation in physical activity. From a psychological perspective, effectiveness evaluation is a central component of an individual's self-regulation and behavioral change process, and it can influence an individual's satisfaction, self-efficacy, and willingness to engage in future behaviors (Code, 2020). Effectiveness evaluation is categorized into various types based on the focus of the evaluation, including effectiveness evaluation of physical health, mental health, social effects, and appearance improvement (Ouyang et al., 2020). Furthermore, gender also affects effectiveness evaluation, reflecting differing health goals and sociocultural expectations(Roberts & Quesnel, 2023). For example, men often prioritize weight training and strength-building, while women may prefer activities like aerobics and yoga (Westerskov Dalgas et al., 2024). However, some studies suggest that factors like age and competition level may also significantly impact social identity and sports persistence, beyond gender alone (Lupo et al., 2017a). This study aims to explore how gender influences psychological motivation and the evaluation of sports effectiveness, thereby affecting sports adherence among college students. Understanding these gender-specific needs can help educators and fitness instructors develop more inclusive and individualized physical activity programs, promoting sustained participation and health improvement. Theoretical model The theoretical model of sport commitment proposed by American sports psychologists posits that sport commitment is a psychological state of having the will to persist in participating in sports (Scanlan et al., 1993). This model focuses on the motivations behind sports adherence, emphasizing that individuals participate in sports due to interest and satisfaction with its effects (O'Neil & Hodge, 2020). Intrinsic motivations include personal satisfaction with the sport's effects, while external motivations involve expectations and commitments related to these effects (Berki et al., 2019). According to Gardner and Moore (2004), the Sport Commitment Model Theory extends individual behavior to behavioral intention, suggesting that psychological motivation, effectiveness evaluation, and self-efficacy determine this intention. Similarly, the Cognitive Decision-Making Theory of Sport Behavior posits that behavioral decisions are formed through three psychological processes: motivation, evaluation, and prediction (Cabrita et al., 2014), Specifically, an individual's motivation and evaluation of exercise effects influence their decision to continue exercising (Standage et al., 2003). Research indicates gender differences in sport adherence. For example, boys are more likely to persist in sports to stay fit, maintain relationships, and fulfill social needs, whereas girls often aim to improve body image, reduce stress, or stay fit (Joseph et al., 2014; Dandanell et al., 2017; Eccles & Wigfield, 2020). Based on these analyses, we propose a simple model of the relationship between psychological motivation, effectiveness evaluation, and exercise adherence in the context of gender (Fig. 1 ). Method Participants and Procedure This study was conducted in a university in Shandong Province; 1000 questionnaires were distributed, and 896 were recovered, resulting in a recovery rate of 89.6%. Among these, 782 questionnaires were valid, yielding an effective recovery rate of 87.3%. Among the 782 valid questionnaires, 335 male students (42.8%) and 447 female students (57.2%). The whole cluster random sampling method (Kassam et al., 2014) was used to randomly select students from one grade in each of the two school districts as survey respondents. A reliability test was conducted using the motor commitment theory (Back et al., 2022). Measures Physical Education and Sports Adherence The Physical Exercise Questionnaire for College Students (Chen et al., 2006) was used to investigate the physical exercise situation of college students in terms of exercise time, frequency, intensity, and adherence to exercise. The reliability test results showed that the reliability coefficients of the questionnaires were all above 0.7, which had good reliability and validity. Psychological motivation Referring to (Shuang and Qiu's, 2021) "Simplified Measurement of Sport Motivation," the Psychological Motivation Scale for College Students in Sports was developed to assess individuals' motivation level to participate in sports. The scale consists of 5 dimensions with 15 questions covering health motivation, appearance motivation, fun motivation, ability motivation, and social motivation, with three questions for each item. All questions were measured on a 5-point Likert scale, 1 (very strong)-5 (none), and the scale was reverse scored, with a corresponding score of 5 − 1. The reliability analysis showed that health, fun, ability, social, and appearance motivation exceeded the acceptable level of 0.7. The coefficient of the second-order factor was 0.731, which is consistent with psychological measurement. Effectiveness evaluation The theoretical structure of the (Shuang & Qiu, 2021) Measurement of Motivation for Physical Activity (MPAM-R) was referenced to develop the Exercise Effectiveness Self-Assessment Scale (EESAS), which measures 5 dimensions of exercise effectiveness, such as enjoyment, competence, appearance, health, and socialization, as experienced by the individual in physical activity. The scale consists of 5 dimensions with 2 questions per dimension, totaling 10 questions on a 5-point Likert scale of 1 (very strong)-5 (none), reverse scoring, corresponding to a score range of 5 − 1. The Cronbach's coefficient for the total scale was 0.871, with good internal consistency. Data analysis Data inclusion and organization, and independent samples t-test, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were applied to process the data according to the aim of the study. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (26.0; SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL) Independent samples t-test was used to compare whether the means of two independent samples were significantly different, correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the variables, and regression analysis was used to reveal the relationship between the variables. p ≤ 0.05 was statistically different. Results Correlation Analysis Of the 782 college students who participated in the survey, 74 (9.5%) adhered to regular physical activity for more than six months, 171 (21.9%) adhered for less than six months, 459 (58.7%) exercised but irregularly, and 78 (10%) did not play sports. These data suggest some challenges to adherence to physical activity among college students. Comparison of sports adherence between male and female college students As shown in Table 1 , Through the independent samples t-test, we found that male and female college students differed in time, intensity, and adherence to sports ( p < 0.05). Male students have better sports adherence than female students. Table 1 Independent samples t-test for sports adherence among male and female college students Dimension Male M ± SD Female M ± SD t p Exercise duration 3.34 ± 1.18 2.72 ± 1.00 7.704 0.001 Exercise frequency 2.30 ± 1.15 1.88 ± 1.12 -5.261 0.140 Exercise intensity 3.40 ± 0.80 3.13 ± 0.84 5.800 0.007 Exercise adherence 2.79 ± 0.83 2.56 ± 0.68 -4.716 0.000 Psychological Motivation, effectiveness evaluation and Gender Comparison of College Students in Sports As shown in Table 2 , in terms of psychological motivation, fun motivation scored the highest ( mean = 4.03), followed by appearance motivation ( mean = 3.94), health motivation ( mean = 3.89), social motivation ( mean = 3.67) and ability motivation ( mean = 3.59). The analysis of gender in the table shows that boys generally scored higher than girls in fun motivation, health motivation, appearance motivation, social motivation, and ability motivation, with gender being significant in social motivation, appearance motivation, and fun motivation ( p < 0.01), with boys having stronger social motivation and fun motivation than girls, and girls focusing more on appearance motivation. In terms of effect evaluation, the health effect scored the highest ( mean = 3.62), followed by the ability effect ( mean = 3.44), sports fun ( mean = 3.41), appearance effect ( mean = 3.18) and social effect ( mean = 3.11). The analysis of gender in the table shows that male and female college students differed in their evaluation of exercise effectiveness. Specifically, among the five dimensions, male students scored higher on health and social effects, while female students scored higher on appearance effects. These differences were statistically significant ( p < 0.05) Table 2 Descriptive statistics and t-test results of gender differences in psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation Dimension Average value Male M ± SD Female M ± SD t p Psychological motivation Social motivation 3.67 3.75 ± 1.02 3.58 ± 1.19 1.733 0.001 Appearance motivation 3.94 3.76 ± 1.11 4.09 ± 0.96 4.348 0.002 Ability motivation 3.59 3.66 ± 1.13 3.48 ± 1.06 2.218 0.329 Health motivation 3.89 4.04 ± 0.92 3.86 ± 0.84 2.321 0.148 Fun motivation 4.03 4.03 ± 0.86 3.91 ± 0.98 1.978 0.003 Effectiveness evaluation Health effect 3.62 3.72 ± 1.06 3.51 ± 0.87 2.735 0.047 appearance effect 3.18 3.35 ± 1.04 3.55 ± 1.11 2.42 0.042 ability effect 3.44 3.32 ± 1.11 3.06 ± 1.12 3.012 0.129 Sports fun 3.41 3.55 ± 1.15 3.24 ± 1.01 3.386 0.476 Social effect 3.11 3.38 ± 1.29 2.91 ± 1.19 3.609 0.037 An analysis of the correlation between psychological factors and exercise adherence among college students Table 3 shows a positive correlation between psychological motivation and sport adherence ( r = 0.368, p < 0.01), indicating that the higher the psychological motivation score, the better the sport adherence. There was also a positive correlation between exercise effectiveness and exercise adherence ( r = 0.472, p < 0.01), indicating that the better the exercise effectiveness, the better the adherence to college sports. Table 3 Correlation analysis between psychological variables and exercise adherence Psychological motivation Movement effect Exercise adherence Psychological motivation 1 Effectiveness evaluation 0.637** 1 Exercise adherence 0.368** 0.472** 1 Regression analysis between variables According to the multiple regression analysis results in Table 4 , psychological motivation, evaluation of effectiveness, and its interaction term with gender were all significant variables. Looking at the β of the individual variables, all had positive β , suggesting that psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation, as well as the moderating effect of gender on these relationships, positively affected sport adherence. Specifically, the effects of effectiveness evaluation and psychological motivation were moderated by gender, suggesting that there is also a gender interaction result for effect ratings and psychological motivation predicted students' levels of sports adherence as a result of gender interaction, respectively. Table 4 Regression analysis between variables Order of selected variables Unstandardized coefficient Standardized coefficient β Significance Constant 1.859 Effectiveness evaluation 0.246 0.397 0.000 Psychological motivation 0.083 0.115 0.000 Gender* Effectiveness evaluation 0.150 0.240 0.005 Gender* Psychological motivation 0.100 0.160 0.010 Discussion This study aimed to examine the impact of gender on college students' psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation in sports, analyze how these psychological factors contribute to sports adherence among college students, and develop gender-sensitive teaching strategies to enhance sports adherence for both male and female students. Through a questionnaire survey and multiple regression analysis of 782 Chinese university students, we found that gender plays a vital role in the differences in psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation and that effectiveness evaluation and psychological motivation positively influence university students' sports adherence through the interaction of gender. Male students exhibited better sports adherence and were more inclined to pursue social interactions and enjoyment. In contrast, female students focused more on appearance and health improvement. These findings align with previous studies and highlight the need to develop individualized physical education strategies to meet the needs of gender-diverse students and promote their continued participation and persistence in physical activity. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that physical education policymakers, schools, and coaches should implement gender-sensitive teaching and learning strategies. It includes ensuring that physical education curricula and training programs adequately take into account gender and encourage all students to find suitable physical activities that will enhance their participation and sports adherence. For example, concerns about female students' health and appearance improvement can be met by offering a more diverse range of sports while providing male students with more athletic opportunities emphasizing competition and teamwork. Comparison with similar studies Our findings align with the principles established by Allender et al. (2006), who identified that intrinsic motivation in sports fulfills needs related to health, appearance, competence, fun, and socialization. Similarly, Almagro et al. (2020) found that males are often driven by competition and challenge, while females focus more on health, appearance, and social aspects. These gender differences suggest that tailored physical education programs can better address the diverse motivational needs of students. In terms of effectiveness evaluation, our study found that male students scored higher on health and social effects, whereas female students prioritized appearance effects. This aligns with the work of Ouyang et al. (2020), who observed that sports participation influences body image, self-efficacy, and self-esteem, particularly among female students. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing strategies that enhance sports adherence through targeted motivation and satisfaction. Lupo et al. (2017b) emphasized the impact of competition level on sports motivation, noting that student-athletes motivation varies significantly with the level of competition. Although our study did not examine competition level, incorporating this variable in future research could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing sports motivation and adherence. Implications and future research Our study underscores the importance of developing gender-sensitive strategies in physical education programs to promote sustained sports participation. Programs targeting male students might focus on enhancing social and fun aspects of sports, while those for female students could emphasize health and appearance benefits. Future research could adopt Lupo et al.'s (2017b) suggestion to examine the role of the level of competition in sports motivation and explore other sociocultural factors such as social support and cultural attitudes toward sports. These variables could further enrich our understanding and help develop more targeted and effective interventions to promote physical activity among diverse student populations. Limitations Despite the insightful findings, our study has several limitations. The sample was mainly from college students in one region of China, which may limit the generalizability of the results. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported data, which can be subject to bias. Future studies should include a more diverse sample and employ qualitative research methods to gain deeper insights into how gender influences motivation and effectiveness evaluation in different cultural contexts. Conclusion In conclusion, our study contributes to the growing body of literature on gender differences in sports motivation. By integrating insights from various studies, including Allender et al. (2006), Almagro et al. (2020), Ouyang et al. (2020), and Lupo et al. (2017a,b), we emphasize the need to consider multiple factors such as competition level and socio-cultural influences. This holistic approach can help develop more effective strategies for promoting sports participation among college students, ensuring that physical education programs are inclusive and cater to the diverse needs of students, ultimately fostering a more active and healthy student population. Declarations Ethical Approval and consent to participate All participants provided informed consent before participating in the questionnaire. Consent to Publish Not applicable Authors` Contributions Both authors contributed to the conceptualization, structuring, and content of the article, with L.W. using her experience and insights to enhance the quality and depth of the article; both authors made important contributions to the literature review and analysis, and thoroughly researched the relevant studies and theories; and PF.Z. played an important role in collecting and organizing the data and compiling the graphs and charts, and his attention to detail strengthened the evidence base of the article. All authors contributed to the revision and improvement of the article, ensuring clarity, coherence, and accuracy. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Funding This study was supported by the 2022 Humanities and Social Sciences Research Fund Project of the Ministry of Education: Research on the High-Quality Development Strategy and Guarantee Mechanism of Women's Public Sports Services with the Health Gate Moving Forward (22YJA890023). Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Data Availability statement All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article. References Allender, S., Cowburn, G., & Foster, C. (2006). Understanding participation in sport and physical activity among children and adults: a review of qualitative studies. health education research , 21(6), 826-835.https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyl063 Almagro, B. J., Sáenz-López, P., Fierro-Suero, S., & Conde, C. (2020). Perceived performance, intrinsic motivation and adherence in athletes. 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Cham: Springer International Publishing.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15485-0_3 Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67.https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020 Scanlan, T. K., Carpenter, P. J., Simons, J. P., Schmidt, G. W., & Keeler, B. (1993). An introduction to the sport commitment model. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology , 15(1), 1-15.https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.15.1.1 Scheerder, J., Vanreusel, B., & Taks, M. (2005). Stratification patterns of active sport involvement among adults: Social change and persistence. International Review for The Sociology of Sport, 40(2), 139-162.https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902050571 Shuang, X., & Qiu L. F. (2021). Investigation and Research on Subject Core Literacy of Physical Education and Health of College Students [In Chinese]. Sichuan Sports Science , 40(06), 100-104.https://doi.org/10.13932/j.cnki.sctykx.2021.06.23 Standage, M., Duda, J. L., & Ntoumanis, N. (2003). A model of contextual motivation in physical education: Using constructs from self-determination and achievement goal theories to predict physical Journal of Educational Psychology , 95(1), Article 97.https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.1.97 Sotos-Martínez, V. J., Ferriz-Valero, A., Garcia-Martinez, S., & Tortosa-Martinez, J. (2024). The effects of gamification on the motivation and basic psychological needs of secondary school physical education students. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy , 29 (2), 160-176.https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2022.2039611 Singh, M. (2018). The Awareness Of Movement And Fitness Sciences Among School, Uunder Granduate And Post Granuate Level Students: Empowering Education Through Physical Eduvation. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science.http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v0i0.1562 Wang, C. K. J., & Demerin, P. A. G. (2023). Relationship between self-determination theory and flow in the domain of sports and academics among student-athletes. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology , 3 (2), 114-120.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2023.08.003 Westerskov Dalgas, B., Elmose-Østerlund, K., & Bredahl, T. V. G. (2024). Exploring basic psychological needs within and across domains of physical activity. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being , 19 (1), 2308994.https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2308994 Zhao, H., Lu, C., & Yi, C. (2023). Physical activity and sleep quality association in different populations: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 20 (3), 1864.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031864 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4760996","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":330638762,"identity":"2cb574fd-ec94-456f-85ab-d24240e56c8b","order_by":0,"name":"Li Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Physical Education Department, Weihai Campus of Shandong University, Weihai,Shandong","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Li","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":330638763,"identity":"341b415c-48ee-45ed-8978-df24ddc142ab","order_by":1,"name":"Pengfei Zhang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA1ElEQVRIie3RMQrCMBTG8RcK7VLQ8RWlnkB4UHAqPUtDoY46uqkU4lJwLvUQTs5KQBcPoFtzA906WkdRSEaH/Of8IPkCYLP9ZayBlOKw563X6mFGHIJ0kUdBKYsIjQlcJd/fpqLvm4BRXbBGiZxVlRKAkITjlYawnXSIi9jpDbho5pBFk6PuWjg7Ixe5G9R8QwhHftARFzOv5UL6dD8J9E2Ij5kL6VUi3ZghwaF0sBuZgpJ3I5PBW96LPVuKl1vvotRjkYRaAp+/R7rj38Rms9lsP3oB/VpCP4uQwQEAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"School of Physical Education, Ludong University，Yantai,Shandong","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pengfei","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-18 08:18:45","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4760996/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4760996/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":62600151,"identity":"b6716b1f-0c01-48a6-afb2-100733c0e7c3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-16 09:46:28","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":30028,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHypothesized Model.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4760996/v1/c9de53f6315bff86474bceb2.png"},{"id":68714098,"identity":"8cb7c2db-39d0-4dbe-8392-a2814a6058d2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-11-11 09:39:05","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":675050,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4760996/v1/c7163a83-6014-473b-a764-8fce51226374.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Exploring Gender Differences in Psychological Motivation and Effectiveness Evaluation for College Sports Adherence","fulltext":[{"header":"Article Highlights","content":"\u003cul start=\"12\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePositive effects of psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation in promoting sports adherence among college students\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGender directly determines differences in psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation and makes the effects of these factors on sport adherence gender-specific.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBoys scored higher on motivation to seek social interaction and have fun, while girls scored higher on motivation to seek improvement in appearance, reflecting gender in psychological motivation.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRegarding effectiveness evaluation, male students were more likely to emphasize the positive effects of health and socialization. In contrast, female students placed more emphasis on improvements in appearance and health, a difference that is instructive for the development of physical education strategies.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eEmphasize the need to implement gender-sensitive teaching strategies in college physical education to promote continued student participation and persistence in physical activity, thereby increasing the overall utility of physical education classes.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e"},{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003ePhysical activity significantly enhances physical health, mental well-being, social interaction, and personal development (Singh, 2018). Key factors influencing adherence include psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation (Moradi et al., 2020). Psychological motivation is the intrinsic drive to participate in sports, while effectiveness evaluation is the subjective assessment of participation outcomes, both influenced by gender (Polo-Pe\u0026ntilde;a et al., 2021).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsidered a socio-cultural variable, gender encompasses more than just biological differences; it also includes the roles, behaviors, expectations, and norms that society and culture attribute to individuals based on their gender. These socio-cultural influences shape individuals' motivations, attitudes, and behaviors in various contexts, including sports (Eagly \u0026amp; Wood, 2012). For example, societal expectations often encourage males to engage in competitive and physically demanding activities, while females may be encouraged to focus on appearance and health-related activities (Levant, 2008).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOf particular note, gender plays a complex and multidimensional role in physical activity adherence. Research has shown that there are significant differences between men and women in terms of their motivation for physical activity, their preferences, and their evaluations of the effectiveness of exercise. These differences are critical for the development of effective intervention strategies to increase the attractiveness of physical activity and sustainable participation (Apollo et al., 2023).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResearch on sports participation motivation and evaluation from a gender perspective is limited, particularly among college students (Moradi et al., 2020; Jiang et al., 2021). College years are critical for forming lifestyle habits, making it important to understand how gender impacts psychosocial motivation and evaluation in sports to develop effective physical education strategies (Shuang \u0026amp; Qiu, 2021).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study investigates how gender affects college students' psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation of sports and how these factors promote sports adherence, using data from 782 Chinese college students. We hypothesize that gender influences psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation, thereby affecting sports adherence. The findings aim to inform gender-sensitive teaching strategies to enhance continuous participation in physical activity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe importance of adherence in sport and its effects\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSport adherence, The continued participation in physical activity, is vital for developing lifelong sports behavior (Gonz\u0026aacute;lez-Serrano, et al., 2020). For college students, it enhances physical fitness, mental health, social skills, and cognitive abilities. Regular sports participation improves cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and endurance, reducing the risk of chronic diseases(Leppel, 2005).It also improves sleep quality and immune function (Zhao et al., 2023). Mentally, physical activity reduces stress and anxiety, enhances emotional stability, and boosts self-efficacy and self-esteem (Pulido et al., 2014). Socially, team sports and social activities enhance social skills, teamwork, and leadership ༈Scheerder et al., 2005༉. Cognitively, regular physical activity improves attention, memory, and executive functions. (Eeckhout et al., 2012).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite the benefits, college students face challenges such as time management issues, lack of motivation, and inadequate facilities, which hinder sustained participation. Understanding and promoting physical activity adherence, particularly considering gender differences, is crucial in education and public health.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEvaluation of psychological motivation and effects of physical activity\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) proposed by Ryan and Deci (2000), motivation encompasses both external and intrinsic motivation. The external motivations that arise from an individual's participation in sports are driven by external factors such as rewards or social recognition, while intrinsic motivations refers to the inherent desire to engage in an activity for the sake of the activity itself, driven by enjoyment and satisfaction, fulfilling needs such as recreation, hobbies, fitness, improving body shape, and establishing social relationships (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, 2000; Sotos-Mart\u0026iacute;nez et al., 2024). Psychological motivation, in the context of this study, primarily refers to intrinsic motivation, which refers to the internal push that motivates an individual to act towards a specific goal (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, 2000). In physical activity, this motivation is related to why individuals start participating in sports and affects their continued participation and persistence level( Li et al., 2013). For example, according to SDT, intrinsic motivation is driven by interest in and enjoyment of the activity itself, and people are willing to and persist in competitive and challenging sports because they experience a sense of accomplishment, competence, and enjoyment, among other things, in dealing with the challenges and competition (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, 2000;Deci \u0026amp; Ryan, 1985). In the classic literature related to kinesiology, the promotion of intrinsic motivation is a function of sport, and participation in sport itself can satisfy an individual's needs in the five dimensions of health, appearance, competence, fun, and socialization (Allender et al., 2006). Studies indicate that gender significantly influences psychological motivation, with males often motivated by social, competition and challenge, while females focus on health, appearance, and social aspects (Almagro et al., 2020; Wang \u0026amp; Demerin, 2023). SDT explains that the type and quality of motivation critically affect sustained sports participation (Chiu et al., 2023; Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, 2000).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffectiveness evaluation refers to an individual's cognitive and affective assessment of the consequences of participating in an activity (Rasberry et al., 2011). In sports, effectuation involves participants' subjective evaluation of their participation's physical, psychological, and social effects (Eather et al., 2023). Such evaluations are essential for understanding participants' motivations and behaviors for sustained participation in physical activity. From a psychological perspective, effectiveness evaluation is a central component of an individual's self-regulation and behavioral change process, and it can influence an individual's satisfaction, self-efficacy, and willingness to engage in future behaviors (Code, 2020). Effectiveness evaluation is categorized into various types based on the focus of the evaluation, including effectiveness evaluation of physical health, mental health, social effects, and appearance improvement (Ouyang et al., 2020). Furthermore, gender also affects effectiveness evaluation, reflecting differing health goals and sociocultural expectations(Roberts \u0026amp; Quesnel, 2023). For example, men often prioritize weight training and strength-building, while women may prefer activities like aerobics and yoga (Westerskov Dalgas et al., 2024). However, some studies suggest that factors like age and competition level may also significantly impact social identity and sports persistence, beyond gender alone (Lupo et al., 2017a).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study aims to explore how gender influences psychological motivation and the evaluation of sports effectiveness, thereby affecting sports adherence among college students. Understanding these gender-specific needs can help educators and fitness instructors develop more inclusive and individualized physical activity programs, promoting sustained participation and health improvement.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTheoretical model\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe theoretical model of sport commitment proposed by American sports psychologists posits that sport commitment is a psychological state of having the will to persist in participating in sports (Scanlan et al., 1993). This model focuses on the motivations behind sports adherence, emphasizing that individuals participate in sports due to interest and satisfaction with its effects (O'Neil \u0026amp; Hodge, 2020). Intrinsic motivations include personal satisfaction with the sport's effects, while external motivations involve expectations and commitments related to these effects (Berki et al., 2019).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Gardner and Moore (2004), the Sport Commitment Model Theory extends individual behavior to behavioral intention, suggesting that psychological motivation, effectiveness evaluation, and self-efficacy determine this intention. Similarly, the Cognitive Decision-Making Theory of Sport Behavior posits that behavioral decisions are formed through three psychological processes: motivation, evaluation, and prediction (Cabrita et al., 2014), Specifically, an individual's motivation and evaluation of exercise effects influence their decision to continue exercising (Standage et al., 2003). Research indicates gender differences in sport adherence. For example, boys are more likely to persist in sports to stay fit, maintain relationships, and fulfill social needs, whereas girls often aim to improve body image, reduce stress, or stay fit (Joseph et al., 2014; Dandanell et al., 2017; Eccles \u0026amp; Wigfield, 2020).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on these analyses, we propose a simple model of the relationship between psychological motivation, effectiveness evaluation, and exercise adherence in the context of gender (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Method","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eParticipants and Procedure\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study was conducted in a university in Shandong Province; 1000 questionnaires were distributed, and 896 were recovered, resulting in a recovery rate of 89.6%. Among these, 782 questionnaires were valid, yielding an effective recovery rate of 87.3%. Among the 782 valid questionnaires, 335 male students (42.8%) and 447 female students (57.2%). The whole cluster random sampling method (Kassam et al., 2014) was used to randomly select students from one grade in each of the two school districts as survey respondents. A reliability test was conducted using the motor commitment theory (Back et al., 2022).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eMeasures\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePhysical Education and Sports Adherence\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Physical Exercise Questionnaire for College Students (Chen et al., 2006) was used to investigate the physical exercise situation of college students in terms of exercise time, frequency, intensity, and adherence to exercise. The reliability test results showed that the reliability coefficients of the questionnaires were all above 0.7, which had good reliability and validity.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePsychological motivation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eReferring to (Shuang and Qiu's, 2021) \"Simplified Measurement of Sport Motivation,\" the Psychological Motivation Scale for College Students in Sports was developed to assess individuals' motivation level to participate in sports. The scale consists of 5 dimensions with 15 questions covering health motivation, appearance motivation, fun motivation, ability motivation, and social motivation, with three questions for each item. All questions were measured on a 5-point Likert scale, 1 (very strong)-5 (none), and the scale was reverse scored, with a corresponding score of 5\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1. The reliability analysis showed that health, fun, ability, social, and appearance motivation exceeded the acceptable level of 0.7. The coefficient of the second-order factor was 0.731, which is consistent with psychological measurement.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEffectiveness evaluation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe theoretical structure of the (Shuang \u0026amp; Qiu, 2021) Measurement of Motivation for Physical Activity (MPAM-R) was referenced to develop the Exercise Effectiveness Self-Assessment Scale (EESAS), which measures 5 dimensions of exercise effectiveness, such as enjoyment, competence, appearance, health, and socialization, as experienced by the individual in physical activity. The scale consists of 5 dimensions with 2 questions per dimension, totaling 10 questions on a 5-point Likert scale of 1 (very strong)-5 (none), reverse scoring, corresponding to a score range of 5\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1. The Cronbach's coefficient for the total scale was 0.871, with good internal consistency.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e Data inclusion and organization, and independent samples t-test, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were applied to process the data according to the aim of the study. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (26.0; SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL) Independent samples t-test was used to compare whether the means of two independent samples were significantly different, correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the variables, and regression analysis was used to reveal the relationship between the variables. p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05 was statistically different.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCorrelation Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOf the 782 college students who participated in the survey, 74 (9.5%) adhered to regular physical activity for more than six months, 171 (21.9%) adhered for less than six months, 459 (58.7%) exercised but irregularly, and 78 (10%) did not play sports. These data suggest some challenges to adherence to physical activity among college students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eComparison of sports adherence between male and female college students\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, Through the independent samples t-test, we found that male and female college students differed in time, intensity, and adherence to sports (\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Male students have better sports adherence than female students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIndependent samples t-test for sports adherence among male and female college students\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDimension\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale \u003cem\u003eM\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale \u003cem\u003eM\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExercise duration\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.34\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.72\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.704\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExercise frequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.88\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-5.261\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.140\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExercise intensity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.800\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExercise adherence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.79\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.56\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-4.716\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePsychological Motivation, effectiveness evaluation and Gender Comparison of College Students in Sports\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, in terms of psychological motivation, fun motivation scored the highest (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.03), followed by appearance motivation (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.94), health motivation (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.89), social motivation (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.67) and ability motivation (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.59). The analysis of gender in the table shows that boys generally scored higher than girls in fun motivation, health motivation, appearance motivation, social motivation, and ability motivation, with gender being significant in social motivation, appearance motivation, and fun motivation (\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01), with boys having stronger social motivation and fun motivation than girls, and girls focusing more on appearance motivation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn terms of effect evaluation, the health effect scored the highest (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.62), followed by the ability effect (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.44), sports fun (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.41), appearance effect (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.18) and social effect (\u003cem\u003emean\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.11). The analysis of gender in the table shows that male and female college students differed in their evaluation of exercise effectiveness. Specifically, among the five dimensions, male students scored higher on health and social effects, while female students scored higher on appearance effects. These differences were statistically significant (\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDescriptive statistics and t-test results of gender differences in psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDimension\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAverage value\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale \u003cem\u003eM\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale \u003cem\u003eM\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.75\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.58\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.733\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppearance motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.76\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.348\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbility motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.48\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.218\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.329\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.04\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.86\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.321\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.148\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFun motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.91\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.978\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffectiveness evaluation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.72\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.51\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.735\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.047\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eappearance effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.35\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.042\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eability effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.32\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.012\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.129\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports fun\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.386\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.476\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.91\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.609\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.037\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAn analysis of the correlation between psychological factors and exercise adherence among college students\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e shows a positive correlation between psychological motivation and sport adherence (\u003cem\u003er\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.368, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01), indicating that the higher the psychological motivation score, the better the sport adherence. There was also a positive correlation between exercise effectiveness and exercise adherence (\u003cem\u003er\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.472, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01), indicating that the better the exercise effectiveness, the better the adherence to college sports.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCorrelation analysis between psychological variables and exercise adherence\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMovement effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExercise adherence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffectiveness evaluation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.637**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExercise adherence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.368**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.472**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eRegression analysis between variables\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the multiple regression analysis results in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, psychological motivation, evaluation of effectiveness, and its interaction term with gender were all significant variables. Looking at the \u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e of the individual variables, all had positive \u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e, suggesting that psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation, as well as the moderating effect of gender on these relationships, positively affected sport adherence. Specifically, the effects of effectiveness evaluation and psychological motivation were moderated by gender, suggesting that there is also a gender interaction result for effect ratings and psychological motivation predicted students' levels of sports adherence as a result of gender interaction, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRegression analysis between variables\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOrder of selected variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnstandardized coefficient\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStandardized coefficient \u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSignificance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.859\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffectiveness evaluation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.246\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.397\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.083\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.115\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender* Effectiveness evaluation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.150\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.240\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender* Psychological motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.160\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to examine the impact of gender on college students' psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation in sports, analyze how these psychological factors contribute to sports adherence among college students, and develop gender-sensitive teaching strategies to enhance sports adherence for both male and female students. Through a questionnaire survey and multiple regression analysis of 782 Chinese university students, we found that gender plays a vital role in the differences in psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation and that effectiveness evaluation and psychological motivation positively influence university students' sports adherence through the interaction of gender. Male students exhibited better sports adherence and were more inclined to pursue social interactions and enjoyment. In contrast, female students focused more on appearance and health improvement. These findings align with previous studies and highlight the need to develop individualized physical education strategies to meet the needs of gender-diverse students and promote their continued participation and persistence in physical activity.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the findings of the study, it is recommended that physical education policymakers, schools, and coaches should implement gender-sensitive teaching and learning strategies. It includes ensuring that physical education curricula and training programs adequately take into account gender and encourage all students to find suitable physical activities that will enhance their participation and sports adherence. For example, concerns about female students' health and appearance improvement can be met by offering a more diverse range of sports while providing male students with more athletic opportunities emphasizing competition and teamwork.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eComparison with similar studies\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur findings align with the principles established by Allender et al. (2006), who identified that intrinsic motivation in sports fulfills needs related to health, appearance, competence, fun, and socialization. Similarly, Almagro et al. (2020) found that males are often driven by competition and challenge, while females focus more on health, appearance, and social aspects. These gender differences suggest that tailored physical education programs can better address the diverse motivational needs of students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn terms of effectiveness evaluation, our study found that male students scored higher on health and social effects, whereas female students prioritized appearance effects. This aligns with the work of Ouyang et al. (2020), who observed that sports participation influences body image, self-efficacy, and self-esteem, particularly among female students. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing strategies that enhance sports adherence through targeted motivation and satisfaction.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLupo et al. (2017b) emphasized the impact of competition level on sports motivation, noting that student-athletes motivation varies significantly with the level of competition. Although our study did not examine competition level, incorporating this variable in future research could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing sports motivation and adherence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eImplications and future research\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur study underscores the importance of developing gender-sensitive strategies in physical education programs to promote sustained sports participation. Programs targeting male students might focus on enhancing social and fun aspects of sports, while those for female students could emphasize health and appearance benefits.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFuture research could adopt Lupo et al.'s (2017b) suggestion to examine the role of the level of competition in sports motivation and explore other sociocultural factors such as social support and cultural attitudes toward sports. These variables could further enrich our understanding and help develop more targeted and effective interventions to promote physical activity among diverse student populations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite the insightful findings, our study has several limitations. The sample was mainly from college students in one region of China, which may limit the generalizability of the results. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported data, which can be subject to bias. Future studies should include a more diverse sample and employ qualitative research methods to gain deeper insights into how gender influences motivation and effectiveness evaluation in different cultural contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, our study contributes to the growing body of literature on gender differences in sports motivation. By integrating insights from various studies, including Allender et al. (2006), Almagro et al. (2020), Ouyang et al. (2020), and Lupo et al. (2017a,b), we emphasize the need to consider multiple factors such as competition level and socio-cultural influences. This holistic approach can help develop more effective strategies for promoting sports participation among college students, ensuring that physical education programs are inclusive and cater to the diverse needs of students, ultimately fostering a more active and healthy student population.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll participants provided informed consent before participating in the questionnaire.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Publish\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors` Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth authors contributed to the conceptualization, structuring, and content of the article, with L.W. using her experience and insights to enhance the quality and depth of the article; both authors made important contributions to the literature review and analysis, and thoroughly researched the relevant studies and theories; and PF.Z. played an important role in collecting and organizing the data and compiling the graphs and charts, and his attention to detail strengthened the evidence base of the article. All authors contributed to the revision and improvement of the article, ensuring clarity, coherence, and accuracy. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was supported by the 2022 Humanities and Social Sciences Research Fund Project of the Ministry of Education: Research on the High-Quality Development Strategy and Guarantee Mechanism of Women\u0026apos;s Public Sports Services with the Health Gate Moving Forward (22YJA890023).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAllender, S., Cowburn, G., \u0026amp; Foster, C. 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Agency for learning: Intention, motivation, self-efficacy and self-regulation. Frontiers in Genetics, 5, 19.https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00019\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDandanell, S., Elbe, A. M., Pfister, G., Elsborg, P., \u0026amp; W Helge, J. (2017). Relationship between volition, physical activity and weight loss maintenance: study rationale, design, methods and baseline characteristics. \u003cem\u003eScandinavian Journal of Public Health\u003c/em\u003e, 45(3), 299-304. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494816682378\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDeci, E. L., \u0026amp; Ryan, R. M. (1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of research in personality, 19(2), 109-134.https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566（85）90023-6\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eEccles, J. S., \u0026amp; Wigfield, A. (2020). 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Physical activity and sleep quality association in different populations: A meta-analysis. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e20\u003c/em\u003e(3), 1864.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031864\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"sports adherence, gender, psychological motivation, effectiveness evaluation, physical education","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4760996/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4760996/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study examines the influence of gender on psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation among college students to sports adherence. A questionnaire survey involved 782 Chinese college students, 335 males and 447 females. Data were analyzed using multiple regression, revealing the positive impact of psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation on promoting adherence to sports activities. Findings indicate that gender significantly influences the psychological motivation and effectiveness evaluation that affect students' commitment to physical education and sports. Male students demonstrated greater adherence to sports, driven by socialization and fun motivation, whereas female students prioritized the evaluative aspects of physical appearance and health. These insights underscore the necessity for tailored physical education strategies that cater to the distinct needs of gender-diverse students, thereby fostering ongoing engagement and adherence to physical activities.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploring Gender Differences in Psychological Motivation and Effectiveness Evaluation for College Sports Adherence","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-16 09:46:23","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4760996/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"3354297c-de45-4376-8110-be21bb4f60f1","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 16th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-11-11T09:38:49+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-16 09:46:23","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4760996","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4760996","identity":"rs-4760996","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}