Self-determination Theory in Predicting and Promoting College Student's Physical Exercise

The paper has done a rather thorough literature review on self-determination theory (SDT), especially giving a rather clear introduction to its constituting theories. Secondly, it analyzes the research trends of SDT in current China. Thirdly, the researcher builds a SDT predicating model and gets it verified in a large scale empirical research in North China Electric Power University. Mostly based on. Deci and Ryan's work, the researcher forms 3 basic scales and 2 questionnaires, with their reliability and validity carefully checked. Data from 366 questionnaire respondents has been statistically processed and analyzed by tools like SPSS 24.0 and Amos 20.0. Finally, the present researcher concludes that psychological needs, exercising autonomy support, exercising autonomy orientation and intrinsic exercising goal could enhance individual's autonomy motivation, hence to promote individual's exercising behavior. At the same time, the SDT predicting model works well in predicting college students' exercising behavior.