Relationships between Adolescents’ Perception of Sports Star Image, Expectancy-Value Perception, and Exercise4 Participation

The major purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between middle school students’ perceptions of sports star image, the expectancy-value perceptions toward sports, and leisure-time exercise participation. Subjects were 720 male and female students (399 males, 321 females) and completed a set of questionnaires measuring sports star image, expectancy-value, and exercise participation. The results of regression analysis were as follows: First, middle school students’perceptions of sports star image positively influenced on internal interest, importance, usefulness, and expectancy beliefs toward sports, but the perception of usefulness and expectancy beliefs positively influenced on exercise participation in leisure time. Second, middle school students’perception of usefulness and expectancy beliefs to sports partially mediated the relationship between sports star image and leisure-time exercise participation, but the indirect effect of expectancy beliefs was larger compared to that of usefulness. These findings suggest that a positive image of sport stars will contribute to facilitate adolescents’positive perceptions of values and expectancy beliefs to sports. In conclusion, physical educators not only should introduce sports values to students, but also sports leaders and athletes should try to build healthy sports culture.