This study used the Social Cognitive Theory and Broaden-and-Build Theory to propose and validate a chain mediation model. In total, 417 Chinese college students were studied to explore the effects of parent–child relationships on their academic performance. In addition, we investigated the chain-mediating roles of gratitude and psychological capital. The results showed that (1) the parent–child relationship significantly and positively affected the academic performance of college students; (2) gratitude partially mediated the parent–child relationship and the academic performance of college students; (3) psychological capital partially mediated the parent-child relationship and the academic performance of college students; and (4) gratitude and psychological capital exerted a chain-mediating effect between parent–child relationships and the academic performance of college students. Based on the results of the study, we conclude that the parent–child relationship not only directly affects the academic performance of college students but also indirectly affects it through the chain mediation of gratitude and psychological capital. Moreover, we proposed reasonable suggestions on how colleges and universities can guide students to deal with parent-child relationships, strengthen gratitude education, and improve psychological capital.

Background: Understanding the factors that sustain physical activity among college students is crucial for promoting a healthy lifestyle, as emphasized by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3. While the link between physical activity and health outcomes is established, less is known about how physical exercise self-efficacy (PESE) influences persistent exercise behavior (PEB) through different forms of physical activity engagement (PAE). This study investigates whether PESE promotes PEB via cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement, based on self-determination theory (SDT) and engagement theory. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 16 to August 16, 2023, involving 900 Chinese college students recruited through convenience sampling on the Questionnaire Star platform, the participants were selected through convenience sampling, which ensured the inclusion of a diverse demography across various grades, educational backgrounds, and study fields. Before the participants provided informed consent, they were briefed on the study’s objectives, data processing procedures, and privacy protections. Validated scales assessed PESE, PAE, and PEB. Data quality was ensured by excluding invalid or incomplete responses. Statistical analyses were performed in several stages. Using SPSS, item and reliability analyses of the research instrument were performed to confirm internal consistency. Then, the confirmatory factor analysis was performed for each scale by using AMOS. Finally, structural equation modeling was used to validate the proposed research model and conduct path analysis, thereby assessing the hypothesized relationships among PESE, PAE, and PEB. Results: PESE positively influenced cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement in physical activity. These forms of engagement, in turn, positively affected fluency experience (FE), which subsequently enhanced PEB. The findings indicate that PESE augments FE by improving PAE, leading to sustained exercise behavior among college students. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the critical role of PESE in fostering persistent exercise behavior through its impact on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement. These insights highlight the importance of designing interventions that enhance PESE and PAE to promote long-term commitment to physical activity among college students, supporting broader health and well-being goals.

This study explored the chain-mediating roles of optimism and mental health in the relation of self-directed learning with academic performance among college students in Wuhan during long-term online teaching. In total, 473 valid responses were obtained from students at three Wuhan universities. Self-directed learning, optimism, mental health, and academic performance scales were used as measurement instruments; a 5-point Likert scale was employed for all items. To examine the instruments’ reliability and validity, a measurement model was constructed; moreover, structural models were employed for assessing the chain mediation model. This study confirmed that self-directed learning was a positive predictor of academic performance in Wuhan college students. Optimism and mental health were two mediators and partially jointly mediated the relation of self-directed learning with academic performance. The results revealed that self-directed learning only partially positively predicted academic performance. The aforementioned relationship was partially mediated by optimism and mental health, highlighting the essential roles of optimism and mental health in the learning and learning outcomes of Wuhan college students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with a global increase in problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU). By drawing on transactional stress theory and applying the stressor–strain–outcome (SSO) framework, we proposed and verified a chain mediation model to explore the mediating roles of fear of missing out (FoMO) and future anxiety (FA) in the relationship between COVID-19 lockdown stress (CL stress) and PSNSU. Our sample of 670 quarantined college students in China responded to a COVID-19 student stress questionnaire, a social network addiction scale, a fear of missing out scale, and a dark future scale. The results revealed that (1) CL stress significantly positively predicted PSNSU, (2) both FoMO and FA mediated the relationship between CL stress and PSNSU, (3) FoMO significantly positively predicted FA, and (4) a full chain mediation was observed between CL stress and PSNSU.

School support is of great significance to students' academic quality and overall physical and psychological development. However, there is still ambiguity in the English and Chinese studies on the concept and measurement tools of school support. The data for this study were sourced from the literature on school support included in the China National Knowledge Network (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) from 2000 to 2021. A systematic literature review was conducted through literature inclusion and data extraction according to the PRISMA guidelines. Finally, 36 core-journal articles with high academic reference value and authority are identified, including seven in Chinese and 29 in English. The following results were obtained: (1) Related research in both Chinese and English showed an overall increasing trend. (2) The concepts and measurement tools of school support were not clear, and most studies used concepts and measurement tools of “social support” or “school climate” as substitutes for school support. (3) Most of the previous studies were based on social support theory, ecological system theory, and school climate theory. (4) The research mainly adopts quantitative research methods and focuses on special student populations or students below the high school level. Overall, previous studies indicated that school support has a positive impact on student development. Therefore, future research should be broadly extended to the knowledge system in higher education. On the basis of clarifying the concept of school support, it is necessary to try to develop and validate school support measurement tools with great reliability, validity, and general applicability to provide a practical reference for educators around the world.

This study focused on COVID-19 perceived risk and Internet addiction among Chinese college students during the lockdown. On the basis of the Social Cognitive Theory, this study proposed a mediating model to evaluate the mediating role of difficulties in regulating emotion between the COVID-19 perceived risk and Internet addiction. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 690 college students during the COVID-19 lockdown in China. The results showed that the COVID-19 perceived risk was significantly positively associated with Internet addiction (r = 0.236, p < 0.001) and difficulties in emotion regulation (r = 0.220, p < 0.001), difficulties in emotion regulation was significantly positively associated with Internet addiction (r = 0.368, p < 0.001). The COVID-19 perceived risk had a significant and positive predictive effect on Internet addiction (β = 0.233, p < 0.001) among Chinese college students. The analysis of the mediation model showed that difficulties in emotion regulation partially mediated the relationship between COVID-19 perceived risk and Internet addiction (indirect effect value was 0.051 with 95% Confidence Interval ranging from 0.027 to 0.085). The findings not only enhanced our understanding of the internal influence mechanism of COVID-19 perceived risk on Internet addiction but also provided a practical basis for college education works. Finally, discussions and suggestions were provided on the basis of the results.