The Influencing Factors of Behavior Intention of Teenagers Participating in Basketball Training-Based on the Perspective of Social Cognition

Abstract

This study aims to explore the key factors influencing adolescents' behavioral intentions to participate in basketball training, utilizing Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as its theoretical foundation. Basketball, as a widely popular and dynamic team sport, not only enhances physical fitness but also fosters essential skills such as teamwork, discipline, and mental resilience. Its developmental and social benefits make it a crucial component of youth sports education. The research focuses on examining the impact of constructs such as self-efficacy, social support, situational context, and outcome expectations on adolescents' decision-making regarding sports participation. To achieve this, a rigorously revised and validated questionnaire was employed, targeting U12-U14 basketball teams across multiple clubs in Guangxi, ensuring the data collected is reliable and provides meaningful insights.

The objectives of the Research：

1. To reverse the questionnaire and investigate for social support, situation, selfefficacy, outcome expectations, and behavior intentiggof teenager partieipant inbasketball.

2. To identify the influence factors on the behavior and intention of teenagers participating and different genders in basketball training.

3. To determine the effect of intervention on the behavior intention of teenagers of different genders.

This study aimed to explore the social cognitive factors influencing adolescents' behavioral intention to participate in basketball training, analyze gender differences, and evaluate the effects of a three-month intervention. A total of 339 adolescents aged 12 to 14 years (56% male, 44% female) were recruited from basketball clubs in Guangxi Province, with 100 participants involved in a pilot test to validate the questionnaire. Based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), the revised questionnaire focused on five key dimensions: social support, situational factors, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and behavioral intention. The questionnaire demonstrated high reliability and validity (Cronbach’s α: 0.896–0.974, KMO: 0.972, Bartlett's test χ² = 18107.471, p < 0.001) through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

A further 175 participants (50.29% male, 49.71% female) took part in a three-month intervention study, with pre- and post-intervention data collected. Regression analysis revealed that social support (e.g., Q3 → Q39: β = 0.2133, p = 0.006) and situational factors (e.g., Q16 → Q40: β = 0.385, p = 0.001) were significant predictors of behavioral intention. Post-intervention comparisons showed significant improvements across all dimensions: social support (3.98 → 4.15, p = 0.0003), situational factors (3.87 → 4.03, p < 0.00001), self-efficacy (3.75 → 3.96, p < 0.00001), outcome expectations (3.82 → 4.04, p < 0.00001), and behavioral intention (3.89 → 4.08, p = 0.00002). Gender analysis indicated that females exhibited greater improvements in self-efficacy and behavioral intention, although no statistically significant gender differences were found in overall post-intervention scores (e.g., behavioral intention: males 3.77, females 4.27, p = 0.867).

The findings demonstrate that targeted interventions effectively enhance adolescents' motivation to engage in basketball training and highlight the potential of gender-sensitive intervention designs. The validated questionnaire and intervention framework provide a scientific basis for future research and practice in youth basketball training.

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