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Article

The Role of Eudaimonic Motivation on the Well-Being of College Athletes: The Chain-Mediating Effect of Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience

by
Guangjun Wang
1,
Wujun Sun
2,
Lei Liu
3,
Yuan Jiang
4,
Xiaosheng Ding
2 and
Yuan Liu
5,*
1
Department of Physical Education, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100101, China
2
Faculty of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
3
School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
4
Department of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
5
Management College, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100101, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11598; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511598
Submission received: 12 May 2023 / Revised: 18 June 2023 / Accepted: 12 July 2023 / Published: 27 July 2023
(This article belongs to the Section Health, Well-Being and Sustainability)
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Abstract

:
Subjective well-being is an essential indicator for evaluating the quality of life of college athletes. According to self-determination theory, eudaimonic motivation is a positive psychological characteristic that is supposed to have a favorable influence on college athletes’ acquisition of subjective well-being. In order to examine the relationship between the two and test the mediating effects of meaning searching and meaning experience, this study investigated the relevant data of 593 college athletes from four different provinces in China. The findings are as follows: (1) the direct effect of eudaimonic motivation on college athletes’ subjective well-being was significant and positive. (2) The mediating effect of meaning searching between eudaimonic motivation and subjective well-being was nonsignificant. (3) However, meaning experience mediated the positive influence of eudaimonic motivation on subjective well-being. (4) Eudaimonic motivation was related indirectly and positively to subjective well-being via the chain-mediating effect of meaning searching and meaning experience. The present study provides empirical evidence for the relationship between positive psychological characteristics and the subjective well-being of college athletes and suggests that educators look for positive qualities to cultivate from the perspective of positive psychology, which can help to prevent psychological disorders and improve the well-being of college athletes.

1. Introduction

As a particular group distinct from the general student population, college athletes are both students and athletes. They both study with the aim of obtaining excellent academic results and undergo intense physical training to maintain optimal athletic performance for competitions [1]. The dual goal of sports and academic studies leads athletes in colleges and universities to experience more psychological stress and problems than non-athlete students, hindering the maintenance of their mental health and well-being [2,3,4]. The existing literature about student athletes more often adequately reflects the negative aspects of this group in terms of low academic achievement, maladjustment, anxiety, burnout, and mental health problems, while paying less attention to their potential advantages and positive outcomes [5,6]. According to positive psychology, focusing on positive qualities such as human developmental potential and virtues is more conducive to preventing psychological disorders and cultivating positive psychological qualities in individuals [7]. Therefore, focusing on positive indicators that reflect the mental health status of student athletes, such as subjective well-being, and the individual characteristics that can positively influence these indicators is necessary and relevant for current research in this field.

1.1. Eudaimonic Motivation and Subjective Well-Being of College Athletes

Subjective well-being comprises both the cognitive and affective components of people’s life evaluation, often measured via life satisfaction and positive and negative emotions [8,9,10]. Empirical studies have found that internal factors such as intrinsic motivation and the psychological state of college athletes are more strongly related to well-being than external factors [11,12]. Self-determination theory also suggests that internal autonomous motivation positively affects an individual’s achievement, perseverance, creativity, and general well-being [13,14]. Eudaimonic motivation is an essential internal motivation of individuals. It refers to the internal tendency of individuals to obtain happiness by realizing their self-worth, developing their best outcomes, and giving play to their potential [15,16]. Eudaimonic motivation reflects the principle of self-actualization-centered activities that individuals actively undertake in their daily lives and overlaps with the internal, autonomous motivation promoted by self-determination theory [14,15]. Studies have shown that a high level of eudaimonic motivation is beneficial for the achievement of higher life satisfaction and positive emotions, and lower negative emotions [17,18]. When controlling for personality factors, eudaimonic motivation can still effectively predict happiness [19]. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that eudaimonic motivation with high autonomy could provide college athletes with strong internal motivation and positive internal factors that motivate them to respond positively and effectively to their dual roles’ physical and mental challenges. This motivation could enhance their cognitive and emotional well-being experience. Thus, this study proposes the following hypothesis:
Hypothesis 1
(H1). Eudaimonic motivation will be positively related to college athletes’ subjective well-being.

1.2. The Role of Meaning Searching in Eudaimonic Motivation and Subjective Well-Being

The theory or conceptualization of life meaning includes two dimensions: meaning searching and meaning experience [20]. Meaning searching aims to discover and construct a sense of meaning by analyzing the value of oneself and activities [21]. The “life-affirming view” of meaning searching asserts that human beings’ motivation to understand the world and transcend oneself determines that human life is centered on meaning [22,23]. The search for meaning in life is often associated with personal characteristics that symbolize positive qualities, such as openness, focus, and investigative interests, which are also key characteristics of eudaemonists, who aim to develop their potential and achieve self-worth [16,24]. Thus, a high level of eudaimonic motivation tends to be associated with more meaning-searching processes. Evidence from empirical studies also suggests a significant positive relationship between eudaimonic motivation and meaning searching [25]. Meaning searching is a critical way of accessing the experience of well-being. According to the logotherapy theory, meaning searching can revive an individual’s spiritual factors and enable them to face and navigate life with a positive attitude, which is a prerequisite for happiness and health [26]. Studies based on Chinese participants have also shown that meaning searching was positively related to positive emotions and life satisfaction [21,27]. Therefore, Hypothesis 2 is proposed as follows:
Hypothesis 2
(H2). Meaning searching will mediate the influence of eudaimonic motivation on subjective well-being, such that eudaimonic motivation will be positively related to meaning searching, which in turn will be positively related to subjective well-being.

1.3. The Role of Meaning Experience in Eudaimonic Motivation and Subjective Well-Being

The experience of meaning is another crucial aspect of the meaning of life, and it is an individual’s cognitive evaluation of whether their life is meaningful on the basis of understanding the meanings and goals of life [21]. Theoretical research suggests that eudaimonic motivation often involves clarifying one’s true self, seeking valuable goals, and pursuing the realization of potential, all of which contribute directly or indirectly to one’s experience of life meaning [28]. Empirical studies have also shown that eudaimonic motivation is positively related to the experience of meaning [29,30,31,32]. Changing levels of eudaimonic motivation can increase one’s sense of meaning and enhance an individual’s experience [15]. Meaning experience is an essential element of people’s health and well-being. Individuals who feels that their lives have meaning have a clear purpose in life can experience their own value and importance, and feel of sense of satisfaction and accomplishment [33]. Substantial evidence suggests that the level of meaningful experience significantly and positively predicts individuals’ subjective well-being [21,34,35]. Based on the relationship between the variables presented in the above literature, this study concludes that college athletes with higher levels of eudaimonic motivation may experience a greater sense of meaning, leading to a satisfying life experience and a good emotional state. Therefore, Hypothesis 3 is proposed:
Hypothesis 3 (H3).
Meaning experience will mediate the influence of eudaimonic motivation on subjective well-being, such that eudaimonic motivation will be positively related to meaning experience, which in turn will be positively related to subjective well-being.

1.4. The Relationship between Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience

The meaning-making theory indicates that meaning searching is a process of reconstructing and gaining meaningful experience by constantly exploring and seeking opportunities for self-change and development [36]. During this process, individuals attempt to answer the question of what the meaning of an event is by, for example, determining the importance and value of the event, helping individuals to recover their original level of meaning experience or gain new meaning experience [22,36]. Moreover, both theoretical and empirical findings indicate that the positive predictive effect of meaning searching on meaning experience can be influenced by cultural factors. Specifically, the positive correlation between meaning searching and meaning experience was more significant in Eastern cultural contexts (Japan and China) than in Western cultures (the United States and Spain) [24,37]. Based on the relationship between meaning searching and meaning experience in Chinese culture, this study proposes Hypothesis 4.
Hypothesis 4
(H4). Eudaimonic motivation will relate indirectly and positively to subjective well-being via the chain mediating effect of meaning searching and meaning experience.
In conclusion, emphasizing the positive individual characteristics of college athletes and their associated positive psychological outcomes can be more conducive to constructing and developing their positive psychological qualities and preventing psychological disorders. Based on the principles of self-determination theory, eudaimonic motivation, as a significant internal motivation of individuals, may contribute to positive psychological outcomes such as the subjective well-being of college athletes. Additionally, theories like the meaning-searching “life-affirming view” and the meaning-making theory suggest that this effect may be closely related to the meaning of life, including meaning searching and meaning experience. Based on this view, the present study constructed a chain mediating model, as outlined by Figure 1, to investigate the effects and mechanisms of eudaimonic motivation on college athletes’ subjective well-being by examining the mediating effects of meaning searching and meaning experience, as well as the chain mediating effects of these two components.

2. Methods

2.1. Participants

In this study, recruitment information was disseminated to student athletes, and the data were collected through the Wenjuanxing platform (https://www.wjx.cn/ (accessed on 10 December 2021)). All participants participated voluntarily, provided informed consent prior to participation and received souvenirs after participation. The study obtained ethical approval from the Academic Ethics and Ethics Committee of Henan Normal University. A total of 593 student athletes in the study came from colleges and universities of four different Chinese provinces, including Beijing, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang. Participants included 318 males (53.6%) and 275 females (46.4%), comprising 195 freshmen (32.9%), 199 sophomores (33.6%), 124 juniors (20.9%) and 75 seniors (12.6%). They ranged in age from 16 to 25, and the average age was 19.80 (SD = 1.50).

2.2. Measurements

2.2.1. Eudaimonic Motivation

To assess participants’ level of eudaimonic motivation, this study used the eudaimonic motivation subscale of the HEMA (Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities Questionnaire) by Huta and Ryan [15]. This subscale consists of 4 items and is rated on a 7-point Likert scale (“strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”). Higher scores on the subscale indicate a great level of eudaimonic motivation. This tool has good reliability and validity in Chinese participants [25]. In this study, Cronbach’s α of eudaimonic motivation subscale was 0.901, and the fit indexes were x2/df = 2.997, RMSEA = 0.058, GFI = 0.995, NFI = 0.996, IFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.992, CFI = 0.997.

2.2.2. Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience

This study measured participants’ degree of meaning searching and meaning experience using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire developed by Steger et al. [20]. The scale consists of two subscales of the search for meaning and the presence of meaning, with five items in each subscale. Both subscales are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (“absolutely untrue” to “absolutely true”). Higher scores on the two subscales indicate a greater tendency to search for meaning or experience a sense of meaning life. The scale has demonstrated good reliability and validity among Chinese participants, so it has been widely recognized and applied by Chinese researchers [21,37]. In this study, the factor loadings of one reverse-scored item on the meaning experience subscale were below 0.40, so the item was removed. After removing the problematic item, the fit indexes were x2/df = 5.501, RMSEA = 0.087, GFI = 0.950, NFI = 0.952, IFI = 0.960, TLI = 0.942, CFI = 0.960. Additionally, the Cronbach’s α for the search for meaning and meaning experience subscale were 0.859 and 0.858, respectively.

2.2.3. Positive Emotions and Negative Emotions

This study assessed participants’ positive and negative emotions to reflect the affective component of subjective well-being using the PNAS (Positive and Negative Affect Scale) developed by Bradburn [38]. This scale consists of a positive affect subscale and a negative affect subscale, using a 4-point Likert scale (from “not at all” to “often”) to rate 14 items. Higher scores indicate a more frequent occurrence of positive or negative emotions in the individual. The reliability and validity of this scale have been verified in Chinese [25]. In this study, the Cronbach’s α of the positive and negative affect subscales were 0.887 and 0.0841. The scale’s fit indexes were x2/df = 4.062, RMSEA = 0.072, GFI = 0.929, NFI = 0.915, IFI = 0.935, TLI = 0.922, CFI = 0.935.

2.2.4. Life Satisfaction

In this study, the participants’ life satisfaction was used to reflect the cognitive component of subjective well-being, which was measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale developed by Diener et al. [39]. This scale comprises 5 items, being rated on a 7-point Likert scale (from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”). Higher scores indicate higher levels of life satisfaction. This scale has been widely used in studies involving Chinese participants, with excellent reliability and validity [10]. In this specific study, the Cronbach’s α of the scale in this study was 0.888, and the fit indexes were x2/df = 5.287, RMSEA = 0.085, GFI = 0.983, NFI = 0.985, IFI = 0.988, TLI = 0.976, CFI = 0.988.

2.3. Statistical Analysis

This study conducted a common method biases test, descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis by using SPSS 21.0 statistical software. The structural equation modeling (Amos 21.0) was used to test Hypotheses 1–4. In addition, we chose the bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method to test the mediating effect. In the bootstrapping process, a random sampling of 5000 was set up to obtain SE (standard errors) and 95% CI (confidence intervals) for the parameter estimates. The indirect effect was considered significant when the indirect effect’s 95% CI did not include 0.

3. Results

3.1. The Results of the Common Method Biases Test

In this study, the Harman single-factor test was conducted to examine the presence of common method biases in the data. The test yielded seven factors with eigenvalues greater than 1. The variance explained by the maximum common factor before rotation was 29.60%, which was lower than the critical standard of 40% [40]. This outcome indicates that the data in the present study were not significantly affected by common method bias.

3.2. Correlation Analysis Results

The correlation analysis results are presented in Table 1. Eudaimonic motivation showed significant positive correlation with meaning searching, meaning experience, positive emotions, and life satisfaction, and had significant negative correlation with negative emotions. Moreover, meaningful correlations were observed between meaning searching and meaning experience, positive emotions, and life satisfaction, and nonsignificant correlations were found with negative emotions. Additionally, meaning experience displayed significant and positive correlation with positive emotions and life satisfaction, and a negative correlation with negative emotions. Furthermore, positive emotions were significantly and negatively correlated with negative emotions and positively correlated with life satisfaction. Lastly, there was a significant and negative correlation between negative emotions and life satisfaction.

3.3. The Chain Mediating Model Analysis Results

The results of correlation analysis meet the requirements of the mediating effect test. So, this study performed structural equation modeling using Amos 21.0 to test the hypothesis proposed by the mediating model. The results show that the fit indexes of the mediation model were x2/df = 3.919, GFI = 0.921, NFI = 0.926, IFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.930, CFI = 0.943, RMSEA = 0.070. The theoretical model fitted the data well (see in Figure 2). Eudaimonic motivation had a positive effect on meaning searching (β = 0.53, t = 9.89, p < 0.001), meaning experience (β = 0.43, t = 8.16, p < 0.001), and subjective well-being (β = 0.36, t = 5.92, p < 0.001). Meaning searching had a positive effect on meaning experience (β = 0.32, t =6.11, p < 0.001), but not subjective well-being (β = −0.08, t = −1.36, p > 0.5). Meaning experience had a positive effect on subjective well-being (β = 0.53, t = 7.30, p < 0.001).
We further conducted bootstrap analysis and estimated the confidence interval to examine the direct and indirect effects of H1, H2, H3, and H4. The results are shown in Table 2. The total effect (β = 0.632, 95%CI = [0.548; 0.710]), total indirect effect (β = 0.272, 95%CI = [0.190; 0.374]), and direct effect (β = 0.359, 95%CI = [0.226; 0.485]) of eudaimonic motivation on subjective well-being were all significant and positive. In the three mediation paths of eudaimonic motivation, the effects of the path mediated by meaning experience (β = 0.225, 95%CI = [0.148; 0.326]) and the chain path mediated by meaning searching and meaning experience (β = 0.088, 95%CI = [0.148; 0.326]) were significant, but that of the path mediated by meaning searching was nonsignificant (β = 0.040, 95%CI = [−0.117; 0.032]). Therefore, H1, H3, and H4 were supported based on the analyses, but H2 was not.

4. Discussion

4.1. The Influence of Eudaimonic Motivation on Subjective Well-Being of College Athletes

This study found that eudaimonic motivation’s direct, indirect and total effects on college athletes’ subjective well-being were significant. Therefore, eudaimonic motivation significantly influenced college athletes’ subjective well-being, and Hypothesis 1 was supported. This view is consistent with the results of previous studies on the relationship between eudaimonic motivation and well-being [17,19], as well as with the theoretical speculation regarding the relationship between the two in this study based on self-determination theory [14,15]. For college athletes, academic success and athletic achievement are the two most important goals in their lives [1]. Frequently, conflicts between these two goal systems arise due to time, energy and resource constraints. However, if both goals are based on the motivation to achieve personal potential and self-worth, then they are closely related to personal importance, values, or interests and become highly autonomous and self-coordinated [9,41]. Such highly autonomous and self-concordant goal motivation predicts greater individual persistence, positive affect, and task engagement interest than controlled goal motivation. Such a goal-seeking process would benefit well-being [13,42].
One important clarification is that negative emotions have lower loadings on well-being in the measurement model of subjective well-being. This result may be related to the characteristics of negative emotions in well-being measures. Previous studies have shown that negative emotions generally account for less than positive emotions in the composition and measurement of subjective well-being [43], and that sometimes moderate negative emotions can lead to positive outcomes for individuals [42,44]. In particular, negative emotions that arise during an individual’s pursuit of self-concordant goals may be perceived as experiences that necessarily occur and need to be experienced during personal growth. As a result, individuals tend to be more accepting and tolerant of them so that they do not have an outsized negative impact on their well-being.

4.2. The Mediating Effect of Meaning Experience

Eudaimonic motivation significantly and positively influenced subjective well-being in a pathway mediated by meaning experience, and Hypothesis 3 was verified. Meaning experience mediates the relationship between eudaimonic motivation and the subjective well-being of college athletes. This result is consistent with Huta’s theoretical elaboration of eudaimonic motivation [28] and highly consistent with previous empirical findings [21,30,32,34]. In a theoretical analysis of individual motivation in life, Huta argues that eudaimonic motivation often involves authenticity, meaning, excellence and growth. These concepts are directly related to the acquisition of meaning experience or can indirectly enhance an individual’s sense of meaning [28]. Therefore, high levels of eudaimonic motivation will have a long-lasting positive impact on college athletes’ emotional and psychological well-being. This motivation will allow them to engage in activities that fulfill their potential and bring meaning to their lives, thereby increasing their subjective well-being [33,35].

4.3. The Role of Meaning Searching

The effect of eudaimonic motivation on college athletes’ subjective well-being through meaning searching did not reach a significant level in this study. Hypothesis 2 was not verified. By analyzing the two halves of the mediating path, we found that eudaimonic motivation had a significantly positive effect on meaning searching in the first half of the path. This effect is consistent with previous empirical research results [25]. As suggested by the “life-affirming view”, eudaimonic motivation, characterized by the exploration of one’s potential and transcendences, facilitates individuals to consciously initiate the meaning searching process [16,24]. College athletes with a high level of eudaimonic motivation may be more willing to build on their existing meaning experience to explore new meaning goals further and construct higher-level meaning structures [22,23].
In the second half of the mediating path, meaning searching had no significant predictive effect on the subjective well-being of college athletes, and the path coefficient was negative. Eudaimonic motivation failed to have a significant positive effect on college athletes’ subjective well-being in the path mediated by meaning searching. These results were inconsistent with our theoretical expectations of the study and suggest a detrimental effect of meaning searching on college athletes’ well-being experience. A further review of the literature revealed similar findings in previous studies [35,45]. Although meaning searching brings positive experiences and happiness to people through constant exploration and seeking for opportunities for self-change and development, it is not an entirely enjoyable process in itself [26], because people need to invest a lot of psychological resources in this process, and often face setbacks, which may somewhat diminish the positive impact of meaning searching on well-being [46]. Some studies based on Chinese participants provided evidence for this, finding that the relationship between meaning searching and negative emotions and life satisfaction was unstable and may be influenced by contingent factors [21]. Meaning searching serves as a processual component of the sense of meaning, potentially contributing to college athletes’ access to a happy life. However, this impact is not robust and can be influenced by the mediating or moderating effects of other potential variables, including meaning experience.

4.4. The Chain Mediating Effect of Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience

The important finding of the present study was that eudaimonic motivation significantly and positively influenced college athletes’ subjective well-being in the chain mediated path of meaning searching and meaning experience. Hypothesis 4 was supported. This result is consistent with previous theoretical and empirical findings on relevant variables [22,36,37], highlighting the joint mechanism of meaning searching and meaning experience in mediating between eudaimonic motivation and the subjective well-being of college athletes. As described in the meaning-making theory, meaning searching plays a vital role in helping individuals to recapture meaningful experiences or enhance their existing meaningful experiences [36]. Eudaimonic motivation contributes to the meaning-searching process of college athletes exploring new goals and pursuing new meanings, which inevitably leads to new meaning experiences and the construction of a higher-level meaning structure, enhancing their subjective well-being [23,37]. Moreover, the joint mechanism of meaning searching and meaning experience also suggests that the negative impact of eudaimonic motivation on college athletes’ well-being through meaning searching is not irrevocable. The psychological resource commitment, frustration, and adversity accompanying meaning searching may negatively affect the acquisition of well-being. However, when meaning searching helps individuals to reconstruct meaning or enhance the existing level of meaning experience through self-change and development, it has a significant and stable positive impact on well-being [36,37,46,47].

5. Contributions and Limitations

5.1. Contributions

Subjective well-being is an important indicator in evaluating the life quality of college athletes [9]. Eudaimonic motivation, as a positive psychological characteristic reflecting an individual’s value orientation and lifestyle, plays an important role in the acquisition of subjective well-being in college athletes [15,42]. While having an adequate theoretical foundation, this view lacks empirical evidence [14,16]. By constructing a predictive model on college athletes’ subjective well-being, this study validates the positive impact of eudaimonic motivation, and explains, to some extent, the mechanism by which this impact arises. This study provides further empirical support for the relationship between positive characteristics and the well-being of college athletes, and also provides a basis for scholars to further study the relationship and mechanism of the two.
At the same time, this study at the practical level also provides more positive ideas for improving college athletes’ physical and mental health. College athletes may be able to pursue their academic and athletic goals with the most adaptive motivation to achieve a higher quality of life with the support and guidance of coaches, life counselors, and academic staff [42]. Additionally, research and educators can adopt a positive psychological perspective and look for positive psychological qualities that are conducive to preventing psychological disorders and enhancing well-being and cultivate them to effectively contribute to the process mentioned above of enhancing the life quality of college athletes [7].

5.2. Limitations

Although this study has a unique theoretical and practical contribution, the limitations may still involve three aspects. Firstly, this study focused on the positive impact of eudaimonic motivation on college athletes’ well-being in a Chinese cultural context and did not include cultural differences in the model, which can play a crucial role in the impact of life motivation on well-being [25,48]. Eastern and Western cultures differ in the degree to which they advocate the value encompassed by eudaimonic motivation. For instance, in Chinese culture, people tend to achieve happiness through struggle rather than enjoyment [47,49]. Therefore, there may be cultural differences in the influence and mechanism of eudaimonic motivation on the subjective well-being of college athletes. In the future, cultural variables can be considered for inclusion in the study to verify the applicability of the model constructed in this study in other cultural contexts, such as the United States and Spain.
Secondly, the conclusions drawn based on cross-sectional data have their own limitations. Although this study explains to some extent the effect and mechanism of eudaimonic motivation in predicting college athletes’ subjective well-being through the chain mediation model, it cannot effectively explain causality due to the nature of its correlational study. Future research could further validate the findings of the present study through experimental or longitudinal studies.
Finally, this study did not find a mediating effect in meaning searching. This effect is because the existing model failed to construct a clear and stable path from meaning searching to the subjective well-being of college athletes. The impact of the meaning searching on well-being may be more complex than we thought [21,47]. Future research may consider incorporating new mediating or moderating variables and constructing more complex models to more comprehensively examine the effect of eudaimonic motivation on the subjective well-being of college athletes.

6. Conclusions

Eudaimonic motivation, as a positive psychological characteristic reflecting individual’s value orientation and lifestyle, demonstrated a significant and positive impact on the subjective well-being of college athletes in this study. The specific results are as follows: (1) the direct effect of eudaimonic motivation on college athletes’ subjective well-being was found to be significant and positive. (2) The mediating effect of meaning searching between eudaimonic motivation and subjective well-being was nonsignificant. (3) However, meaning experience mediated the effect of eudaimonic motivation on subjective well-being. Specifically, eudaimonic motivation was positively related to meaning experience, which in turn was positively related to subjective well-being. (4) Moreover, eudaimonic motivation was related indirectly and positively to subjective well-being via the chain mediating effect of meaning searching and meaning experience.

Author Contributions

The idea for this study was provided by G.W., and Y.L., G.W. and X.D. collected and collated the data, while L.L. and W.S. performed statistical analysis of the data. G.W. and W.S. wrote the first draft of the paper, and Y.J. and Y.L. made several revisions to it. All authors contributed to the article. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (72174055) provided funding for the conductance of this study.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Henan Normal University (Study #72174055, approval date March 2021).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained.

Data Availability Statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy concerns.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. The theoretical model of eudaimonic motivation influencing college athletes’ subjective well-being. The solid lines with arrows represent the influence path and direction between variables.
Figure 1. The theoretical model of eudaimonic motivation influencing college athletes’ subjective well-being. The solid lines with arrows represent the influence path and direction between variables.
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Figure 2. The chain mediating model of meaning searching and meaning experience. MLQ1-10 are measurement items of meaning searching and meaning experience, and HEMA6-9 are those of eudaimonic motivation. The dotted line indicates that the path coefficient was not significant and the solid lines indicate that the path coefficient was significant. *** p < 0.001.
Figure 2. The chain mediating model of meaning searching and meaning experience. MLQ1-10 are measurement items of meaning searching and meaning experience, and HEMA6-9 are those of eudaimonic motivation. The dotted line indicates that the path coefficient was not significant and the solid lines indicate that the path coefficient was significant. *** p < 0.001.
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Table
Table 1. Descriptive statistics and correlation matrix of each variable (n = 593).
Table 1. Descriptive statistics and correlation matrix of each variable (n = 593).
MSD12345678910
1. Gender--1
2. Grade--−0.621
3. Major--−0.12 **−0.061
4. Age19.801.50−0.010.40 ***−0.011
5. Eudaimonic motivation5.101.200.01−0.02−0.040.021
6. Meaning searching5.141.190.04−0.03−0.01−0.020.47 ***1
7. Meaning experience4.681.14−0.05−0.03−0.020.050.51 ***0.40 ***1
8. Positive emotions2.660.640.04−0.01−0.050.010.47 ***0.32 ***0.49 ***1
9. Negative emotions2.130.59−0.05−0.05−0.02−0.04−0.12 **0.04−0.22 ***−0.15 ***1
10. Life satisfaction4.181.36−0.10 *−0.02−0.050.010.39 ***0.21 ***0.42 ***0.51 ***−0.19 ***1
* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.
Table
Table 2. The results of mediating effect test.
Table 2. The results of mediating effect test.
PathsEffect SizeBoot
SE		95%CI
LLCIULCI
Eudaimonic motivation →Subjective well-being (Direct effect)0.359 ***0.0660.2260.485
Eudaimonic motivation → Meaning searching → Subjective well-being−0.0400.038−0.117 0.032
Eudaimonic motivation → Meaning experience → Subjective well-being0.225 ***0.0450.1480.326
Eudaimonic motivation → Meaning searching → Meaning experience → Subjective well-being0.088 ***0.0280.0450.154
Total indirect effect0.272 ***0.0470.1900.374
Total effect0.632 ***0.0420.5480.710
*** p < 0.001. SE is standard errors. CI is confidence intervals. LLCI and ULCI represent the lower and upper limits of confidence intervals, respectively.
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Wang, G.; Sun, W.; Liu, L.; Jiang, Y.; Ding, X.; Liu, Y. The Role of Eudaimonic Motivation on the Well-Being of College Athletes: The Chain-Mediating Effect of Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience. Sustainability 2023, 15, 11598. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511598

AMA Style

Wang G, Sun W, Liu L, Jiang Y, Ding X, Liu Y. The Role of Eudaimonic Motivation on the Well-Being of College Athletes: The Chain-Mediating Effect of Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience. Sustainability. 2023; 15(15):11598. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511598

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Guangjun, Wujun Sun, Lei Liu, Yuan Jiang, Xiaosheng Ding, and Yuan Liu. 2023. "The Role of Eudaimonic Motivation on the Well-Being of College Athletes: The Chain-Mediating Effect of Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience" Sustainability 15, no. 15: 11598. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511598

APA Style

Wang, G., Sun, W., Liu, L., Jiang, Y., Ding, X., & Liu, Y. (2023). The Role of Eudaimonic Motivation on the Well-Being of College Athletes: The Chain-Mediating Effect of Meaning Searching and Meaning Experience. Sustainability, 15(15), 11598. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511598

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