Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> This cross-sectional study examined whether function-specific sport imagery use was differentially associated with motivation quality in 298 Chinese collegiate wushu taolu athletes recruited from six universities in Sichuan Province. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the theorised five-function structure of the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ) over a single-factor model; accordingly, the five SIQ subscale scores were designated the primary analytic level, and the Overall SIQ mean was retained as a secondary broad-index summary. Hierarchical regression models, adjusted for imagery ability and background covariates, were estimated separately for autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and amotivation. The five SIQ functions jointly explained significant additional variance in autonomous motivation (ΔR² = .136, f² = .236, p < .001) and amotivation (ΔR² = .067, f² = .079, p < .001); the controlled motivation increment was marginal (ΔR² = .036, f² = .040, p = .054). Motivational general-mastery (MG-M) imagery was the only function to retain a Holm-corrected unique positive association with autonomous motivation (B = 0.244, 95% CI [0.126, 0.362], β = .314, p <sub>Holm</sub> = .001) after all remaining functions, imagery ability, and background covariates were controlled. Secondary broad-index analyses corroborated these directional patterns. Findings extend function-specific accounts of sport imagery by demonstrating that mastery-oriented mental content is a meaningful and independent correlate of self-determined motivation in a competitive martial-arts population. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, including directions for longitudinal and intervention research. </p>