(1) Background: This study explores the intricate relationship between sports and the environment, underscoring the influence of individual awareness of climate change consequences on fostering eco-friendly behavior among sports spectators. (2) Methods: The research introduces an extended theory of planned behavior model, incorporating climate change awareness. Analyzing data from 431 participants at US professional sports events, the study measured variables like climate change awareness and theory of planned behavior constructs. (3) Results: Sequential multiple mediation analysis validated the model, revealing that climate change awareness positively predicts the intention to reduce single-use plastics in the context of sport spectatorship. This relationship was partially mediated by theory of planned behavior variables, with subjective norms identified as a crucial explanatory factor. (4) Conclusions: The study’s originality lies in shedding light on pro-environmental intentions within sports spectatorship. Its insights provide foundational knowledge for researchers and organizations aiming to devise sustainability strategies in the realm of sports.

The purpose of this study was to verify the structural relationship among trust in coach, coach–athlete fit, and coach–athlete relationship. It verified the mediating effect trust in coach on relationships, in relation to coach–athlete fit and coach–athlete relationship. A total of 190 soccer players (N = 190, male; 135, female; 55) registered with the Korea Football Association responded to the survey; and their career in soccer about 6.8 years. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling. As expected, coach–athlete fit and trust in coach were significantly related to coach–athlete relationship; in addition, the structural relationship among the three variables was significant. Finally, mediating effect of trust in coach between coach–athlete fit and coach–athlete relationship was showed significantly.

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between stress and burnout through an integration of the demand–control (DC) and effort–reward imbalance (ERI) model in the context of sport coaching. This is the first study to integrate these two models to explain burnout experienced by sport coaches, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the development of burnout in this population. A sample of 398 Chinese sport coaches working in the school system participated in the study. Moderated mediation analyses were conducted to test the research model, and results indicated that the data fit the model well and supported all hypotheses. Specifically, the study verified the hypotheses related to the importance of contextual conditions in burnout development (i.e. burnout caused by job stress consistent with ERI) and personal characteristics that regulate these conditions (i.e. over-commitment as the enhancing moderator and coaching efficacy as the buffering moderator consistent with DC). The findings suggest that addressing the social system (i.e. ERI) in which burnout develops and individual responses (i.e. DC) is crucial to prevent burnout among sport coaches.

The present study aimed to identify the psychological mechanism that moderates the physical activity intention-behaviour gap during the pandemic based on self-determination theory (SDT) and the health belief model (HBM). A retrospective, longitudinal survey design was adopted, with participants assessed in two waves (T1 and T2) at one-year intervals. Online questionnaires reflecting the context of the COVID-19 pandemic were developed to measure the intention to engage in physical activity (exercise), actual frequency, motivation (autonomous/controlled motivation), and health belief (perceived susceptibility). Of the 336 subjects who participated in the first survey (T1) with exercise intention and frequency, 194 responded to the second survey (T2) with exercise frequency and psychological characteristics (motivation and health beliefs). After data screening, a total sample size of 190 was used for the analysis. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that even in a controlled condition for past exercise intention and frequency, significant predictions were made for the current exercise frequency during the pandemic from controlled motivation and perceived susceptibility. The results also verified significant moderating effects, whereby the physical activity intention-behaviour gap decreased with highly controlled motivation but increased with high perceived susceptibility to infectious diseases in the COVID-19 context. The findings in this study suggest that the desire to be recognised for performing physical activities and the perception that participation in physical activity does not raise the risk of infection had a significant role in reducing the gap between physical activity intention during the pandemic.

Purpose : This study aimed to validate the utility of an extended Trans-Contextual Model, which incorporates the moderating role of metacognition facilitating contextual transfer from physical education (PE) to leisure time, in predicting the level of physical activity among university students. Method : A three-wave longitudinal design was employed, with 400 university students completing surveys at different time points. Data from the final 210 participants were utilized to validate the measurement model and assess the research model (moderated mediation model). Results : The findings supported a significant mediating pathway from instructor autonomy support to autonomous motivation of PE and leisure time, physical activity intention, and actual participation. Furthermore, the study confirmed that the level of metacognition significantly moderated the transfer process of autonomous motivation from PE to leisure time. Discussion/Conclusion : This research underscores the importance of instructors’ autonomy support within university PE classes and advocates for pedagogical approaches aimed at fostering metacognition.

Social media has been an increasingly utilized communication tool, and it has gained popularity among adolescent athletes. Our aim here was to investigate whether a positive and honest self-presentation on social media increased adolescent athletes' self-esteem, and we examined the moderating effect of perceived responsiveness. After receiving informed consent of participants and their parents/legal guardians, we recruited 468 adolescent athletes/participants (244 males, 224 females; Mage = 15.39 years, SD = 1.61) through purposive sampling and engaged them in completing face-to-face or online self-report measures of their: (a) self-presentation on social media, (b) perceived responsiveness of others, and (c) Rosenberg self-esteem scales. Given the continuous nature of our moderating variable (i.e., perceived responsiveness), we conducted regression analysis using Hayes’s PROCESS macro in SPSS software. A positive self-presentation showed no significant relationship with self-esteem, except when the level of perceived responsiveness was high. Conversely, an honest self-presentation was positively related to higher self-esteem, and the relationship between honest self-presentation and self-esteem was moderated by perceived responsiveness. Our findings extend existing psychological theory into the online environment and have practical implications. These data highlight the link between social media self-presentation and self-esteem among adolescent athletes and illustrate the crucial role of perceived responsiveness in the social media context.