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

Abstract 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.