Beyond self-efficacy: the distal-proximal motivational hierarchy of knowledge transfer in fitness short videos

While fitness short videos have become a pivotal medium for health dissemination, the mechanism translating content quality into knowledge transfer remains insufficiently understood. We propose a distal-proximal motivational framework to examine how knowledge expressiveness facilitates transfer through the sequential mediating roles of self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Based on a survey of 337 regular viewers, structural equation modeling reveals a complete mediation mechanism.

Findings indicate that knowledge expressiveness enhances transfer effectiveness, yet self-efficacy does not directly predict knowledge transfer. Instead, it functions as a distal precursor that remains inert until converted into proximal outcome expectations. Only when initial confidence is anchored in perceived instrumental value does it drive the persistent learning behavior necessary for technical mastery.

These results challenge the assumption that self-efficacy directly facilitates learning in digital media, highlighting that motivation in fitness communication operates through a hierarchical activation process. Practically, creators should prioritize the strategic alignment of instructional clarity with the communication of tangible outcomes to ensure self-belief results in effective knowledge internalization. This research was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 25BXW066).

Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China The authors declare no competing interests. This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Chengdu Sport University on 4 June 2024 (approval No. 88 2024). All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical requirements of Chengdu Sport University, applicable ethical policies and regulations in China, and the Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments.

Informed consent was obtained online from all participants before they began the questionnaire. The introductory page displayed the written participant information approved by the ethics committee, covering the study purpose, eligibility criteria, estimated completion time, potential risks and benefits, anonymity arrangements, withdrawal rights, and contact details for the researchers and ethics committee. Participants could read and save this information before deciding whether to participate.

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