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Perfectly Active Teenagers. When Does Physical Exercise Help Psychological Well-Being in Adolescents?

Author

Listed:
  • Juan González-Hernández

    (Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain)

  • Manuel Gómez-López

    (Department of Physical Activity and Sports, University of Murcia, Santiago de la Ribera, 30720 Murcia, Spain
    International Campus of Excellence “Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30720 Murcia, Spain)

  • José Antonio Pérez-Turpin

    (Department of General Didactics and Specific Didactics, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain)

  • Antonio Jesús Muñoz-Villena

    (Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain)

  • Eliseo Andreu-Cabrera

    (Department of Evolutionary Psychology and Didactics, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain)

Abstract

In the context of physical activity and sport, perfectionism and the regular practice of physical activity are related to psychological well-being and the regulation of psychological resources necessary for adaptation to effort and satisfaction. At the same time, the most active students are also those who show greater appetites for physical education classes. The goal of this work was to identify the influence of perfectionist beliefs and the regularity of the practice of physical exercise on psychological well-being. The participants were adolescents ( n = 436) aged between 14 and 19 years (M = 16.80, SD = .77). They were administered the Multidimensional Perfection Scale, the Psychological Wellbeing Scale, the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQv2), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The results showed, under a non-random and transversal design, that the participants gave important value to physical exercise because they feel both active and vigorous. Regarding perfectionism, the functional aspects of perfectionism (expectations of achievement and organization) correlated positively, while the dysfunctional aspects (fear of committing errors and external expectations) did so negatively with the importance given to physical exercise performed by adolescents; this in turn positively predicted psychological well-being. In this way, the hypothesized model contemplated the relevance of the included variables and reflected the mediation of the degree of importance given to the practice of physical exercise on perfectionist beliefs and psychological well-being. Currently, most physical activity practice proposals for adolescents focus on federated and structured environments for competition, and those that deal with recreational and health-oriented sports are far less common. Hence, "the perfect way of doing sports" for a teenager should be accompanied by cognitive schemes aimed at strengthening psychological resources that allow the regulation of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan González-Hernández & Manuel Gómez-López & José Antonio Pérez-Turpin & Antonio Jesús Muñoz-Villena & Eliseo Andreu-Cabrera, 2019. "Perfectly Active Teenagers. When Does Physical Exercise Help Psychological Well-Being in Adolescents?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:22:p:4525-:d:287468
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jacqueline Corcoran, 2016. "Teenage Pregnancy and Mental Health," Societies, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-9, July.
    2. Siew Yap & Rozumah Baharudin, 2016. "The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Perceived Parental Involvement, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Subjective Well-Being: A Multiple Mediator Model," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 257-278, March.
    3. Mingli Liu & Lang Wu & Qingsen Ming, 2015. "How Does Physical Activity Intervention Improve Self-Esteem and Self-Concept in Children and Adolescents? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
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    1. Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar & Falk Müller-Riemenschneider & Anne Hin Yee Chu & Mythily Subramaniam & Linda Wei Lin Tan & Siow Ann Chong & Rob M. van Dam, 2020. "Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality and Physical Activity, but Not Sedentary Behaviour, Are Associated with Positive Mental Health in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-12, November.
    2. Haslinda Husain & Shamsulariffin Samsudin & Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Ayub, 2025. "Exploratory Factor Analysis for Measuring Instrument of Sports Involvement on Psychological Resilience among Boarding School Students in Malaysia," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(1), pages 4237-4244, January.
    3. Juan González-Hernández & Antonino Bianco & Carlos Marques da Silva & Manuel Gómez-López, 2022. "Perfectionism, Resilience and Different Ways of Experiencing Sport during COVID-19 Confinement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-10, May.
    4. Jesús Granero-Jiménez & María Mar López-Rodríguez & Iria Dobarrio-Sanz & Alda Elena Cortés-Rodríguez, 2022. "Influence of Physical Exercise on Psychological Well-Being of Young Adults: A Quantitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-14, April.
    5. Yao Zhang & Yi Yin & Jianxiu Liu & Ming Yang & Zeshi Liu & Xindong Ma, 2020. "Impact of Combined Theory-Based Intervention on Psychological Effects and Physical Activity among Chinese Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-15, April.
    6. Raquel Pérez-Ordás & Javier Piñeiro-Cossio & Óscar Díaz-Chica & Ester Ayllón-Negrillo, 2022. "Relevant Variables in the Stimulation of Psychological Well-Being in Physical Education: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-26, July.

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