{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T05:05:11Z","timestamp":1789621511817,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789603200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Adolescence is the period in which physical-activity habits either take root or quietly unravel, and in China crowded timetables and examination pressure make the second outcome unusually common. What separates the adolescents who keep exercising from those who drift away is therefore a question with real public-health stakes, and beliefs about whether athletic ability can be developed offer one promising but under-tested answer. Drawing on social cognitive theory and self-determination theory, we specified a moderated serial mediation model and examined it in 860 adolescents aged 12 to 18, sampled from eastern, central, and western China. Growth mindset, exercise self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, perceived exercise climate, and baseline persistence were assessed at Time 1; exercise persistence was reassessed 1\u202fmonth later and served as the outcome, with baseline persistence controlled. The analytic sequence combined confirmatory factor analysis, tests of measurement invariance across gender and school level, structural equation modeling with cluster-robust standard errors, bias-corrected bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples, and an unconstrained product-indicator test of latent moderation. Growth mindset was associated with exercise persistence both directly (\n                    <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f0.14) and indirectly through exercise self-efficacy (\n                    <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f0.110), through intrinsic motivation (\n                    <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f0.082), and through the sequential chain running from self-efficacy to intrinsic motivation (\n                    <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f0.053); the three indirect paths together accounted for 63.6% of the total association. Perceived exercise climate moderated the first stage, so that the mindset-to-efficacy link was close to twice as strong under mastery-oriented perceptions (index of moderated mediation\u202f=\u202f0.032, 95% CI [0.011, 0.058]). The pattern survived the addition of demographic covariates, the control of baseline persistence, and adjustment for school-level clustering, although a design of this kind licenses statements about association rather than about causal mechanism. Practically, the findings suggest that work on adolescents\u2019 beliefs and work on the climates they train in belong together rather than apart.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1860747","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T04:50:44Z","timestamp":1789620644000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Growth mindset and adolescent exercise persistence: a moderated serial mediation model through self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Xiaoliang","family":"Huo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Tibet University for Nationalities","place":["Xianyang, Shaanxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ming","family":"Hui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports College, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nan\u2019an","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1016\/0749-5978(91)90020-T","article-title":"The theory of planned behavior","volume":"50","author":"Ajzen","year":"1991","journal-title":"Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1060","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.57.12.1060","article-title":"Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct","volume":"57","year":"2002","journal-title":"Am. Psychol."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0663.84.3.261","article-title":"Classrooms: goals, structures, and student motivation","volume":"84","author":"Ames","year":"1992","journal-title":"J. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref4","volume-title":"Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control","author":"Bandura","year":"1997"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.52.1.1","article-title":"Social cognitive theory: an agentic perspective","volume":"52","author":"Bandura","year":"2001","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Psychol."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198104263660","article-title":"Health promotion by social cognitive means","volume":"31","author":"Bandura","year":"2004","journal-title":"Health Educ. Behav."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"973","DOI":"10.1080\/02640410310001641377","article-title":"Motivation for physical activity in young people: entity and incremental beliefs about athletic ability","volume":"21","author":"Biddle","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Sports Sci."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1177\/135910457000100301","article-title":"Back-translation for cross-cultural research","volume":"1","author":"Brislin","year":"1970","journal-title":"J. Cross-Cult. Psychol."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1037\/bul0000368","article-title":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of growth mindset interventions: for whom, how, and why might such interventions work?","volume":"149","author":"Burnette","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"655","DOI":"10.1037\/a0029531","article-title":"Mind-sets matter: a meta-analytic review of implicit theories and self-regulation","volume":"139","author":"Burnette","year":"2013","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2213300","DOI":"10.1080\/17441692.2023.2213300","article-title":"Growth mindset, persistence, and self-efficacy in early adolescents: associations with depression, anxiety, and externalising behaviours","volume":"18","author":"Cherewick","year":"2023","journal-title":"Glob. Public Health"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1207\/S15328007SEM0902_5","article-title":"Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance","volume":"9","author":"Cheung","year":"2002","journal-title":"Struct. Equ. Model."},{"key":"ref13","volume-title":"Sampling Techniques","author":"Cochran","year":"1977"},{"key":"ref14","volume-title":"Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences","author":"Cohen","year":"1988"},{"key":"ref15","volume-title":"Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference","author":"Cook","year":"2002"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3772","DOI":"10.3758\/s13428-022-01988-0","article-title":"Questions of value, questions of magnitude: an exploration and application of methods for comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models","volume":"55","author":"Coutts","year":"2023","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Methods"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1080\/10413200600830257","article-title":"Longitudinal assessment of the relationship between physical self-concept and health-related behavior and emotion in adolescent girls","volume":"18","author":"Crocker","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Appl. Sport Psychol."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"628","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2003.12.007","article-title":"Self-efficacy partially mediates the effect of a school-based physical-activity intervention among adolescent girls","volume":"38","author":"Dishman","year":"2004","journal-title":"Prev. Med."},{"key":"ref19","first-page":"129","volume-title":"Advances in Motivation in Sport and Exercise","author":"Duda","year":"2001"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"290","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0663.84.3.290","article-title":"Dimensions of achievement motivation in schoolwork and sport","volume":"84","author":"Duda","year":"1992","journal-title":"J. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref21","volume-title":"Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development","author":"Dweck","year":"1999"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"256","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.95.2.256","article-title":"A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality","volume":"95","author":"Dweck","year":"1988","journal-title":"Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1177\/1745691618804166","article-title":"Mindsets: a view from two eras","volume":"14","author":"Dweck","year":"2019","journal-title":"Perspect. Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.2307\/3151312","article-title":"Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error","volume":"18","author":"Fornell","year":"1981","journal-title":"J. Mark. Res."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/00273171.2014.962683","article-title":"An index and test of linear moderated mediation","volume":"50","author":"Hayes","year":"2015","journal-title":"Multivar. Behav. Res."},{"key":"ref26","volume-title":"Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach","author":"Hayes","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/10705519909540118","article-title":"Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives","volume":"6","author":"Hu","year":"1999","journal-title":"Struct. Equ. Model."},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2012.09.003","article-title":"British Olympic hopefuls: the antecedents and consequences of implicit ability beliefs in elite track and field athletes","volume":"14","author":"Jowett","year":"2013","journal-title":"Psychol. Sport Exerc."},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"510","DOI":"10.1006\/jrpe.1996.0037","article-title":"The effects of implicit theories on exercise motivation","volume":"30","author":"Kasimatis","year":"1996","journal-title":"J. Res. Pers."},{"key":"ref30","volume-title":"Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling","author":"Kline","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref31","first-page":"341","article-title":"Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of sport psychology scales in Chinese populations: a systematic review","volume":"52","author":"Li","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Sport Psychol."},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1037\/bul0000352","article-title":"Do growth mindset interventions impact students\u2019 academic achievement? A systematic review and meta-analysis with recommendations for best practices","volume":"149","author":"Macnamara","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1037\/1082-989X.9.3.275","article-title":"Structural equation models of latent interactions: evaluation of alternative estimation strategies and indicator construction","volume":"9","author":"Marsh","year":"2004","journal-title":"Psychol. Methods"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1037\/1082-989X.12.1.23","article-title":"Bias in cross-sectional analyses of longitudinal mediation","volume":"12","author":"Maxwell","year":"2007","journal-title":"Psychol. Methods"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00848378","article-title":"The role of efficacy cognitions in the prediction of exercise behavior in middle-aged adults","volume":"15","author":"McAuley","year":"1992","journal-title":"J. Behav. Med."},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1037\/met0000078","article-title":"On the unnecessary ubiquity of hierarchical linear modeling","volume":"22","author":"McNeish","year":"2017","journal-title":"Psychol. Methods"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"621","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15050621","article-title":"Mechanisms from growth mindset to psychological well-being of Chinese primary school students: the serial mediating role of grit and academic self-efficacy","volume":"15","author":"Meng","year":"2025","journal-title":"Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"643","DOI":"10.1080\/026404199365678","article-title":"A review of motivational climate in physical activity","volume":"17","author":"Ntoumanis","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Sports Sci."},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1080\/17437199.2020.1718529","article-title":"A meta-analysis of self-determination theory-informed intervention studies in the health domain: effects on motivation, health behavior, physical, and psychological health","volume":"15","author":"Ntoumanis","year":"2021","journal-title":"Health Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1123\/jsep.17.1.35","article-title":"Toward a new measure of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation in sports: the sport motivation scale (SMS)","volume":"17","author":"Pelletier","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Sport Exerc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Appl. Psychol."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1080\/00273170701341316","article-title":"Addressing moderated mediation hypotheses: theory, methods, and prescriptions","volume":"42","author":"Preacher","year":"2007","journal-title":"Multivar. Behav. Res."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1037\/a0020141","article-title":"A general multilevel SEM framework for assessing multilevel mediation","volume":"15","author":"Preacher","year":"2010","journal-title":"Psychol. Methods"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1521\/978.14625\/28806","volume-title":"Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness","author":"Ryan","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101860","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cedpsych.2020.101860","article-title":"Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: definitions, theory, practices, and future directions","volume":"61","author":"Ryan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Contemp. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref46","first-page":"465","volume-title":"Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice","author":"Sallis","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"963","DOI":"10.1097\/00005768-200005000-00014","article-title":"A review of correlates of physical activity of children and adolescents","volume":"32","author":"Sallis","year":"2000","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2044-8309.1996.tb01104.x","article-title":"Goal orientations and conceptions of the nature of sport ability in children: a social cognitive approach","volume":"35","author":"Sarrazin","year":"1996","journal-title":"Br. J. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1177\/1948550617715068","article-title":"Determining power and sample size for simple and complex mediation models","volume":"8","author":"Schoemann","year":"2017","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Personal. Sci."},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"280","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2011.11.010","article-title":"\u2018You\u2019re only as good as your weakest link\u2019: implicit theories of golf ability","volume":"13","author":"Slater","year":"2012","journal-title":"Psychol. Sport Exerc."},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2005.05.001","article-title":"An experimental test of self-theories of ability in youth sport","volume":"7","author":"Spray","year":"2006","journal-title":"Psychol. Sport Exerc."},{"key":"ref52","first-page":"62","article-title":"An experimental study of the effects of a growth mindset intervention on training effort and training performance in sport","volume":"20","author":"Stenling","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Sport Exerc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"271","DOI":"10.1016\/S0065-2601(08)60019-2","article-title":"Toward a hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation","volume":"29","author":"Vallerand","year":"1997","journal-title":"Adv. Exp. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1003","DOI":"10.1177\/0013164492052004025","article-title":"The academic motivation scale: a measure of intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation in education","volume":"52","author":"Vallerand","year":"1992","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol. Meas."},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1444","DOI":"10.1037\/edu0000420","article-title":"Self-determination theory applied to physical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"112","author":"Vasconcellos","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.5040\/9781718206632.ch-013","volume-title":"Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Exercise and Sport","author":"Wang","year":"2007"},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1177\/1094428110366036","article-title":"Method variance and marker variables: a review and comprehensive CFA marker technique","volume":"13","author":"Williams","year":"2010","journal-title":"Organ. Res. Methods"},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"302","DOI":"10.1080\/00461520.2012.722805","article-title":"Mindsets that promote resilience: when students believe that personal characteristics can be developed","volume":"47","author":"Yeager","year":"2012","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1269","DOI":"10.1037\/amp0000794","article-title":"What can be learned from growth mindset controversies?","volume":"75","author":"Yeager","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am. Psychol."},{"key":"ref60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"364","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-019-1466-y","article-title":"A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement","volume":"573","author":"Yeager","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nature"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1860747\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T04:51:05Z","timestamp":1789620665000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1860747\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]]},"references-count":60,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1860747"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1860747","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]]},"article-number":"1860747"}}