The influence of risk perception in mountaineering on re-participation intentions: a moderated mediation model

Objective: Mountaineering is a high-risk outdoor activity requiring strong psychological regulation and risk assessment abilities. The study aims to investigate the relationship between risk perception in mountaineering and re-participation intention, specifically focusing on the mediating role of smooth experience and the moderating effect of social support. Methods: Drawing on Risk Perception Theory and Flow Theory, we proposed a moderated mediation model and surveyed 516 recreational mountaineering participants. Descriptive statistics, reliability and validity tests, and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS 27.0 (PROCESS 4.1, 5,000 bootstrap resamples). Results: (1) Risk perception negatively predicted both re-participation intention and smooth experience. (2) Smooth experience positively predicted re-participation intention and mediated the association between risk perception and re-participation intention. (3) Social support moderated the smooth experience and re-participation intention link, such that the positive effect of smooth experience was stronger at higher levels of social support. Conclusion: Smooth experience constitutes a key psychological pathway through which risk perception relates to re-participation intention, and social support strengthens the behavioral benefits of smooth experience. These findings highlight the joint role of psychological experience and social resources in promoting sustained engagement in mountaineering.