The present study explored women’s psychological well-being in the context of exercise, focusing on the relationship between self-efficacy and well-being, with intrinsic motivation to exercise as a mediator. Additionally, the study examined the moderating roles of self-compassion in the link between self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation, and of actual exercising in the link between intrinsic motivation and well-being. Online structured questionnaires were completed by 360 women aged 18–65, forming a non-random sample. Self-efficacy was positively associated with well-being, and intrinsic motivation to exercise partially mediated this relationship. Self-compassion moderated the link between self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation to exercise, whereby the positive association between these variables was stronger at high levels of self-compassion than at medium levels and not significant at low levels of self-compassion. However, actual exercising did not moderate the association between intrinsic motivation and well-being.
BanduraA (1997) Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. Freeman.
3.
BlecharzJHorodyskaKZarychtaK, et al. (2015) Intrinsic motivation predicting performance satisfaction in athletes: Further psychometric evaluations of the Sport Motivation Scale-6. Polish Psychological Bulletin46(2): 309–319.
4.
BreinesJGChenS (2012) Self-compassion increases self-improvement motivation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin38(9): 1133–1143.
5.
ÇetinFAşkunD (2018) The effect of occupational self-efficacy on work performance through intrinsic work motivation. Management Research Review41(2): 186–201.
6.
ChenGGullySMEdenD (2001) Validation of a new general self-efficacy scale. Organizational Research Methods4(1): 62–83.
7.
DeciELRyanRM (2000) The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry11(4): 227–268.
8.
DienerEPressmanSDHunterJ, et al. (2017) If, why, and when subjective well-being influences health, and future needed research. Applied Psychology. Health and Well-Being9(2): 133–167.
9.
DienerEWirtzDTovW, et al. (2010) New well-being measures: Short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social Indicators Research97(2): 143–156.
10.
GarstangKRMagistroDJackmanPC, et al. (2026) Psychological mediators of the relations between goal motives, physical activity and well-being: Testing a model of path analysis. Journal of Health Psychology31: 199–212.
11.
GilbertP (2005) Compassion: Conceptualizations, Research and Use in Psychotherapy. Brunner-Routledge.
12.
GuérinEFortierMSSweetSN (2013) An experience sampling study of physical activity and positive affect: Investigating the role of situational motivation and perceived intensity across time. Health Psychology Research1(2): e21.
13.
HayesAF (ed.) (2022) Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach, 3rd edn.The Guilford Press.
14.
HoareEStavreskiBJenningsGL, et al. (2017) Exploring motivation and barriers to physical activity among active and inactive Australian adults. Sports5(3): 47.
15.
KarademasEC (2007) Positive and negative aspects of well-being: Common and specific predictors. Personality and Individual Differences43(2): 277–287.
16.
Kestler-PelegMMahat-ShamirMPitcho-PrelorentzosSKaganM (2023) Intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy as mediators between personality traits and adjustment disorder in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Psychology42(10): 8504–8514.
17.
KlineRB (ed.) (2011) Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling, 3rd edn.The Guilford Press.
18.
LiaoKY-HSteadGBLiaoC-Y (2021) A meta-analysis of the relation between self-compassion and self-efficacy. Mindfulness12(8): 1878–1891.
19.
MagnusCMRKowalskiKCMcHughT-LF (2010) The role of self-compassion in women’s self-determined motives to exercise and exercise-related outcomes. Self and Identity9: 363–382.
20.
Micky OlutendeOKweyuIWSituma WekesaJ (2017) Health behaviour intentions and barriers to physical activity among health science students: Exploring general self efficacy as a mediator. Journal of Physical Activity Research2(2): 101–106.
21.
MonteiroSMDRJanceyJHowatP (2014) Physical activity and nutrition intervention for mothers of young children: Process evaluation. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health Illness and Medicine06(03): 223–230.
22.
Morales-RodríguezFMEspigares-LópezIBrownT, et al. (2020) The relationship between psychological well-being and psychosocial factors in university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health17(13): 4778.
23.
NeffK (2011) Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. Hachette UK.
24.
NeffKD (2003) Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity: The Journal of the International Society for Self and Identity2(2): 85–101.
25.
OrtizAGooldAZhangJW (2023) Self-compassion, personal improvement, and motivation. In: Finlay-JonesABluthKNeffK (eds) Handbook of Self-Compassion. Springer International Publishing, pp.201–211.
26.
PelletierLGRocchiMAVallerandRJ, et al. (2013) Validation of the revised sport motivation scale (SMS-II). Psychology of Sport and Exercise14(3): 329–341.
27.
RaesFPommierENeffKD, et al. (2011) Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy18(3): 250–255.
28.
Raque-BogdanTLLentRWLamphereB (2019) Test of a social cognitive model of well-being among breast cancer survivors. Journal of Health Psychology24(5): 661–670.
29.
RyanRMDeciELVansteenkisteM, et al. (2021) Building a science of motivated persons: Self-determination theory’s empirical approach to human experience and the regulation of behavior. Motivation Science7(2): 97–110.
30.
SchmitterMSpijkerJSmitF, et al. (2020) Exercise enhances: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial on aerobic exercise as depression treatment augmentation. BMC Psychiatry20(1): 585.
31.
SchmittMOswaldFJoppD, et al. (2006) The impact of internal and external resources on health, competence and well-being: longitudinal findings from the ILSE. In: WahlHBrennerWMollenkopfH, et al. (eds) The Many Faces of Health, Competence and Well-Being in Old Age. Springer, pp.199–209.
32.
SeligmanMEPCsikszentmihalyiM (2014) Positive psychology: An introduction. In: CsikszentmihalyiM (ed.) Flow and the Foundations of Positive Psychology. Springer, pp.279–298.
33.
SequeiraMPereiraCAlvarezMJ (2025) Testing the HAPA model for predicting daily physical activity of women survivors of breast cancer. Journal of Health Psychology 0(0): 13591053251347143. DOI: 10.1177/13591053251347143
34.
TemaneQMWissingMP (2006) The role of subjective perception of health in the dynamics of context and psychological well-being. South African Journal of Psychology36(3): 564–581.
35.
ThomasDMLoveKMRoan-BelleC, et al. (2009) Self-efficacy, motivation, and academic adjustment among African American women attending institutions of higher education. Journal of Negro Education78(2): 159–171.
36.
TrübswasserUVerstraetenRSalmL, et al. (2021) Factors influencing obesogenic behaviours of adolescent girls and women in low- and middle-income countries: A qualitative evidence synthesis. Obesity Reviews22(4): e13163.
WangKLiYZhangT, et al. (2022) The relationship among college students’ physical exercise, self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and subjective well-being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health19(18): 11596.
ZessinUDickhäuserOGarbadeS (2015) The relationship between self-compassion and well-being: A meta-analysis. Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being7(3): 340–364.
