Exploring the influence of track and field athletes' self-management on athletic performance: the chain mediating role of psychological resilience and competitive spirit
4 affiliations
- 1College of Physical Education and Sport Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
- 2School of Physical Education, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
- 3Sports and Artificial Intelligence, School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- 4Department of Physical Education, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
Abstract
Objective: Against the backdrop of increasingly intense competition in competitive sports, the mechanisms underlying the improvement of athletes' athletic performance have become an important research topic. Based on self-regulation theory and relevant perspectives in sport psychology, this study explores the relationship between self-management and athletic performance among track and field athletes, and examines the single mediating and chain mediating effects of psychological resilience and competitive spirit.
Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional quantitative survey design and used non-probability convenience sampling to recruit 772 Chinese track and field athletes. Established scales were used to assess self-management, psychological resilience, competitive spirit, and athletic performance. SPSS 31.0 and AMOS 31.0 were used for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, common method bias testing, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Direct, individual indirect, and serial indirect effects were examined using 5,000 bootstrap samples.
Results: Self-management was positively associated with athletic performance. Psychological resilience and competitive spirit each significantly mediated the relationship between self-management and athletic performance. In addition, psychological resilience and competitive spirit formed a significant serial mediating pathway, indicating that higher self-management was associated with greater psychological resilience, which was subsequently associated with stronger competitive spirit and, ultimately, better athletic performance.
Conclusion: Self-management is an important factor influencing the athletic performance of Chinese track and field athletes. Its effect is reflected not only in its direct promotion of athletic performance but also in its indirect effect through the sequential psychological mechanism of psychological resilience and competitive spirit. The findings suggest that improving the athletic performance of track and field athletes should not focus solely on sport-specific technical and physical training, but should also emphasize the cultivation of self-management ability, psychological resilience training, and the shaping of psychological goals related to competitive spirit.
Related
- Sustainable sport nutrition behaviors, mental resilience, and perceived athletic performance in competitive athletes.
- Algorithmic management and gig workers' workplace wellbeing: the moderating role of psychological resilience
- Professional Identity, Psychological Resilience, and Adaptive Performance in Junior Nurses Exposed to Workplace Bullying: A Latent Profile and Network Analysis
- The indirect association of emotional intelligence with self-reported performance-related outcomes through psychological resilience in athletes
- Psychological Profiles, Stress, Sleep Quality, and Psychological Risk Indicators Across Teams and Competitive Levels in Elite Football Players
BibTeX
@article{fan2026exploring,
title = {{Exploring the influence of track and field athletes' self-management on athletic performance: the chain mediating role of psychological resilience and competitive spirit}},
author = {Zhengzheng Fan and Yuanzhen Ni and Yibo Shen},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1934680},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1934680},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exploring the influence of track and field athletes' self-management on athletic performance: the chain mediating role of psychological resilience and competitive spirit
AU - Zhengzheng Fan
AU - Yuanzhen Ni
AU - Yibo Shen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1934680
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1934680
AB - Objective: Against the backdrop of increasingly intense competition in competitive sports, the mechanisms underlying the improvement of athletes' athletic performance have become an important research topic. Based on self-regulation theory and relevant perspectives in sport psychology, this study explores the relationship between self-management and athletic performance among track and field athletes, and examines the single mediating and chain mediating effects of psychological resilience and competitive spirit. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional quantitative survey design and used non-probability convenience sampling to recruit 772 Chinese track and field athletes. Established scales were used to assess self-management, psychological resilience, competitive spirit, and athletic performance. SPSS 31.0 and AMOS 31.0 were used for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, common method bias testing, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Direct, individual indirect, and serial indirect effects were examined using 5,000 bootstrap samples. Results: Self-management was positively associated with athletic performance. Psychological resilience and competitive spirit each significantly mediated the relationship between self-management and athletic performance. In addition, psychological resilience and competitive spirit formed a significant serial mediating pathway, indicating that higher self-management was associated with greater psychological resilience, which was subsequently associated with stronger competitive spirit and, ultimately, better athletic performance. Conclusion: Self-management is an important factor influencing the athletic performance of Chinese track and field athletes. Its effect is reflected not only in its direct promotion of athletic performance but also in its indirect effect through the sequential psychological mechanism of psychological resilience and competitive spirit. The findings suggest that improving the athletic performance of track and field athletes should not focus solely on sport-specific technical and physical training, but should also emphasize the cultivation of self-management ability, psychological resilience training, and the shaping of psychological goals related to competitive spirit.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -