**3. Results**

#### *3.1. Descriptive Statistics, Correlation Analysis, and Reliability Testing*

The results of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and reliability are shown in Table 2. Affect had the highest mean value (M = 3.62, SD = 0.94) on the recreation specialization scale, followed by cognition (M = 3.47, SD = 0.99); behavior had the lowest mean value (M = 2.89, SD = 1.04). These findings are similar to those reported in recent research [12,16]. The respondents also reported feelings of high self-efficacy (M = 7.36, SD = 2.28), suggesting their strong confidence to keep running. On the scale flow experience, a higher mean value was found for fluency of performance (M = 5.44, SD = 1.10) than for absorption by activity (M = 5.30, SD = 1.13). These findings sugges<sup>t</sup> that runners reported being fully immersed with strong feelings of involvement and energized focus. In addition, the respondents reported a high degree of life satisfaction (M = 5.10, SD = 1.19).

**Table 2.** Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and reliability testing.


Note: BEH = behavior; COG = cognition; AFF = affect; SEE = self-efficacy; FOP = fluency of performance; ABA = absorption by activity; LIS = life satisfaction. \*\*\* *p* < 0.001.

Furthermore, all scales/subscales used in this study had significantly positive correlations with each other ranging from 0.24 to 0.79, *p* < 0.001.

#### *3.2. Testing of Hypothese 1–7*

JASP 0.16 was used to test research Hypotheses 1 through 7. Self-efficacy and recreation specialization were used as predictors, flow experience as the mediator, life satisfaction as the outcome variable, and demographic variables as background confounders. Results shown in Table 3 indicate that self-efficacy (*β* = 0.37; *p* < 0.01) and recreation specialization (*β* = 0.42; *p* < 0.001) were positively related to flow experience; self-efficacy (*β* = 0.37; *p* < 0.001), recreation specialization (*β* = 0.28; *p* < 0.001), and flow experience (*β* = 0.62; *p* < 0.001) were positively associated with life satisfaction. Thus, Hypotheses 1 through 5 were supported in this study. In addition, flow experience had a significant indirect effect on the role of self-efficacy and recreation specialization on runners' life satisfaction. Specifically, flow experience partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and life satisfaction, while it fully mediated the influence of recreation specialization on life satisfaction. The standardized indirect effect values were 0.23 (H6) and 0.26 (H7), respectively.

**Table 3.** Direct effect and indirect effect in the proposed research model.


Note: \*\* *p* < 0.01; \*\*\* *p* < 0.001; NS = No significant; SE = Self-efficacy; FE = Flow experience; RS = Recreation specialization; LS = Life satisfaction.
