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

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.