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The chain mediation mechanism linking interoceptive awareness to future exercise possible self in adolescents: the roles of self-concept clarity and athletic engagement

kinesiology
pediatrics
psychiatry-and-psychology
public-health
mental-health

Abstract

Objective:
Grounded in an embodied cognition perspective, this study examined the associations between interoceptive awareness and adolescents’ future exercise possible self and tested whether self-concept clarity and athletic engagement act as mediators in this relationship, including a potential chain mediation pathway.
Methods:
Using a stratified random sampling approach, 1,222 students from Grades 7 to 12 were recruited from six major regions of China in May 2025, yielding 1,131 valid responses (55.9% boys, 44.1% girls). Participants completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2), the Self-Concept Clarity Scale (SCCS), the Athlete Engagement Questionnaire (AEQ), and the Future Exercise Possible Self Inventory (FEPSI). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 24.0. A chain mediation structural equation model (interoceptive awareness → self-concept clarity → athletic engagement → future exercise possible self) was developed in Amos 26.0. Bootstrap resampling (5,000 resamples) was applied to estimate total, direct, and indirect effects.
Results:
Interoceptive awareness and its dimensions were positively correlated with self-concept clarity, athletic engagement, and future exercise possible self (p < 0.01). After controlling for demographic variables, seven of the eight interoceptive awareness dimensions significantly predicted future exercise possible self (p < 0.05), with the exception of the “body listening” dimension. The structural model demonstrated good model fit (χ²/df = 1.171, CFI = 0.992, RMSEA = 0.012). Interoceptive awareness showed a significant total effect on future exercise possible self (β = 0.586), which included both a direct effect (β = 0.329) and an indirect effect (β = 0.257). Self-concept clarity and athletic engagement each mediated this association, together form ing a significant chain mediation pathway (interoceptive awareness → self-concept clarity → athletic engagement → future exercise possible self; β = 0.018, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Interoceptive awareness is positively associated with adolescents’ future exercise possible self, both directly and indirectly through higher self-concept clarity and greater athletic engagement. These findings outline a sequential pattern linking bodily awareness, self-knowledge integration, motivational experiences, and future-oriented exercise identity. Enhancing adolescents’ sensitivity to and positive interpretation of internal bodily signals, alongside strengthening self-concept clarity and athletic engagement, may be meaningful for fostering positive exercise-related self-views and long-term physical activity beliefs.
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