INTERPRETING EXERCISE-TYPE DIFFERENCES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE: A DOSE-STRATIFIED ANALYSIS OF FITNESS AND BODYBUILDING WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES AMONG CHINESE UNDERGRADUATES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164056Keywords:
Exercise Dose, Exercise Motivation, Exercise-Type Differences, Fitness and Bodybuilding, Psychological Resilience, Structured Exercise Context, University StudentsAbstract
Background: Exercise-type differences in psychological resilience may be difficult to interpret when activity type is confounded with exercise dose. Objective: To examine whether resilience differences between fitness and bodybuilding participants and participants in other physical activities persisted within exercise-dose strata, and whether exercise motivation was independently associated with resilience. Methods: This cross-sectional survey included 205 Chinese undergraduates classified into a fitness and bodybuilding group (n = 107) or an other-activity group (n = 98). Exercise dose was derived from intensity, duration, and frequency using the PARS-3 scoring procedure. Dose-stratified Welch t tests, Mann–Whitney U sensitivity tests, Spearman correlations, and multivariable linear regression with HC3 robust inference were conducted. Results: Internal consistency was high for resilience and exercise motivation (α = .960 and .945). In the low-dose stratum, the fitness and bodybuilding group had higher resilience than the other-activity group (mean difference = 17.93, 95% CI [11.20, 24.66], p < .001). A similar difference was observed in the moderate-dose stratum (mean difference = 21.93, 95% CI [9.81, 34.06], p = .003). In the high-dose stratum, the difference was not statistically significant and was imprecisely estimated (mean difference = 3.09, 95% CI [−10.94, 17.12], p = .620). The multivariable model accounted for 77.7% of the variance in resilience (R² = .777, adjusted R² = .771), and exercise motivation showed the largest independent standardized association with resilience (β = .696, p < .001). Conclusion: Resilience differences between exercise types varied across exercise-dose strata. Fitness and bodybuilding participation was associated with higher resilience at low and moderate doses, whereas the high-dose estimate was inconclusive. Exercise motivation showed the largest independent standardized association with resilience. These cross-sectional findings do not establish causal effects.
Downloads
References
American College of Sports Medicine. (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(3), 687–708. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670
Chen, S.-P., Wang, Y.-B., Rong, J.-Z., Pan, X.-G., & Bao, J. (2013). The simplified version of the MPAM-R: Reliability and validity. Journal of Beijing Sport University, 36(2), 66–70, 78. https://doi.org/10.19582/j.cnki.11-3785/g8.2013.02.013
Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. T. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety, 18(2), 76–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10113
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Deng, D., Sun, Q., & Li, H. (2025). The influences of physical exercise on student burnout: Based on the mediating role of psychological resilience. BMC Psychology, 13, Article 114. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02394-9
Jackson, S. A., & Marsh, H. W. (1996). Development and validation of a scale to measure optimal experience: The Flow State Scale. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(1), 17–35. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.18.1.17
Kania, D., Romaniszyn-Kania, P. M., Bugdol, M., Tuszy, A., Ledwoń, D., Pollak, A., & Mitas, A. W. (2024). Flow and physiological response assessment during exercise using metrorhythmic stimuli. Journal of Human Kinetics, 94, 243–254. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/187804
Li, J., Wang, L., Pan, L., Hu, Z., Yin, R., & Liu, J.-F. (2024). Exercise motivation, physical exercise, and mental health among college students: Examining the predictive power of five different types of exercise motivation. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1356999. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1356999
Liang, D. Q. (1994). Stress levels of university students and their relationship with physical exercise. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 8(1), 5–6.
Martinez Kercher, V. M., Watkins, J. M., Goss, J. M., Phillips, L. A., Roy, B. A., Blades, K., Dobson, D., & Kercher, K. A. (2024). Psychological needs, self-efficacy, motivation, and resistance training outcomes in a 16-week barbell training program for adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1439431. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1439431
Masten, A. S. (2007). Resilience in developing systems: Progress and promise as the fourth wave rises. Development and Psychopathology, 19(3), 921–930. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579407000442
Qiu, W., Huang, C., Xiao, H., Nie, Y., Ma, W., Zhou, F., & Liu, C. (2025). The correlation between physical activity and psychological resilience in young students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1557347. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557347
Taylor, S., Martin, J., Wilson, O. W. A., Elliot, L., & Bopp, M. (2025). The impact of physical activity enjoyment, exercise self-efficacy, recording physical activity, and exercise goal setting on physical activity levels of college students. Recreational Sports Journal, 49(1), 33–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/15588661241261997
Teixeira, P. J., Carraça, E. V., Markland, D., Silva, M. N., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9, Article 78. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-9-78
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
Xu, Z., Shamsulariffin, S., Azhar, Y., & Xi, M. (2025). Does self-determination theory associate with physical activity? A systematic review of systematic review. International Journal of Psychology, 60(3), Article e70044. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.70044
Yu, C., Zeng, Z., Xue, A., & Wu, Q. (2024). The effect of exercise motivation on college students’ self-efficacy: The mediating roles of leisure satisfaction and mental toughness. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1465138. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1465138
Yu, X., & Zhang, J. (2007). Factor analysis and psychometric evaluation of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) with Chinese people. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 35(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2007.35.1.19
