How does self-efficacy promote physical activity among adolescents? The mediating roles of task and ego orientations

Abstract

Regular participation in physical activity is essential for adolescents’ overall development, yet physical inactivity remains a prevalent public health concern. To elucidate the motivational mechanisms underlying physical activity among Chinese adolescents, this study investigated the parallel mediating roles of task and ego orientations in the relationship between self-efficacy and physical activity, alongside potential gender differences. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,194 junior high school students (576 boys, 618 girls; M age = 13.27 years) in China. Data on physical activity self-efficacy, achievement goal orientations, and physical activity were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group analyses. Self-efficacy directly and positively predicted physical activity. Although the direct path from task orientation to physical activity was not significant, both task and ego orientations functioned as parallel mediators with significant indirect effects. Furthermore, multi-group SEM established structural invariance across genders and revealed a significant moderating role of gender that the predictive path from self-efficacy to ego orientation was significantly stronger in boys than in girls. In conclusion, self-efficacy promotes adolescents’ physical activity through both direct and dual-motivational indirect pathways. The findings suggest that the behavioral translation of task orientation is constrained by academic pressures, whereas ego orientation acts as a robust catalyst driven by peer competition and gender socialization. Interventions should employ gender-sensitive strategies to optimize adolescents’ self-efficacy and achievement motives.