This narrative review examines the interrelationships among personality traits, motivation for physical activity, and physical activity (PA) levels among university students. Despite the well-documented physical and psychological benefits of PA, participation rates among university students remain suboptimal. Drawing on the Big Five personality framework and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the study reviews how stable personality dispositions shape motivational processes and, in turn, influence PA engagement. Extraversion and conscientiousness consistently predict higher PA participation, while neuroticism is negatively associated with exercise behavior. SDT highlights that the satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness fosters autonomous motivation, which supports long-term exercise adherence. Synthesized findings suggest that personality traits influence PA both directly and indirectly through motivational pathways: students high in intrinsic and identified regulation show stronger engagement in moderate-to-vigorous PA, whereas controlled motivation and amotivation predict lower activity levels. Moderating factors such as gender, culture, and prior exercise experience further shape these relationships. Cross-cultural differences and methodological variations partially explain inconsistencies across studies. The review concludes that personality, motivation, and PA form a dynamic interactive system crucial for understanding health behaviors in university populations. Tailoring interventions according to personality profiles and enhancing autonomous motivation may effectively promote sustained PA participation. Current research, however, is limited by an overreliance on cross-sectional designs, insufficient longitudinal and cross-cultural comparisons, and a lack of multi-method behavioral data. Future studies should emphasize causal mechanisms and incorporate real-world interventions to deepen understanding of psychological determinants of university students’ physical activity.
Cite this paper
Wang, Z. , Shamsudin, N. H. and Keat, O. B. (2026). A Narrative Review of the Interrelationships among Personality, Motivation, and Physical Activity among University Students. Open Access Library Journal, 13, e15119. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1115119.
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