The Influencing Factors of Physical Exercise on the Social and Emotional Abilities of College Students: A Chain‐Mediated Effect Based on Emotion Regulation and Self‐Efficacy

The university period represents a critical transition for college students, marking their progression from adolescence to adulthood and from the familial and school environments into broader society. Focusing on the enhancement of students’ social–emotional competence aligns with the developmental requirements of educational modernization in China. However, under the combined influence of severe external environments and internal factors, an increasing number of university students are prone to developing negative emotions, which poses potential risks to the healthy development of school education and social interactions. This study investigates how physical exercise influences the social–emotional competence of university students at Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, focusing on the mediating roles of emotion regulation and self‐efficacy. Using literature review, questionnaires, and statistical analyses on a sample of 572 students, the study assessed physical activity levels, emotion regulation strategies, self‐efficacy, and social–emotional competence. Results show that students generally engage in moderate physical activity, though over half exhibit low activity levels, cognitive reappraisal is used more frequently than expressive suppression, while both self‐efficacy and social–emotional competence are above average but need improvement. Significant differences across demographic variables were found in physical exercise, emotion regulation, self‐efficacy, and social–emotional competence. All four variables demonstrated significant positive correlations. Regression and mediation analyses revealed that physical exercise positively predicts social–emotional competence directly and indirectly through emotion regulation and self‐efficacy, with both independent and serial mediation effects. These findings clarify the mechanism linking physical exercise to social–emotional competence and provide theoretical support for promoting students’ socioemotional development through enhanced physical activity.