Introduction: The mental health (MH) of college students has long been a crucial concern for families, educational institutions, and society. Extensive research has demonstrated the influential role of exercise motivation in shaping MH. However, further investigation is warranted to ascertain which types of exercise motivation may have more influence on the MH of college students. The present study examined the direct effects of five distinct types of exercise motivation, namely health motivation (HM), appearance motivation (APM), fun motivation (FM), ability motivation (ABM), and social motivation (SM) on MH. Additionally, the study explored the potential mediating role of physical exercise (PE) in these relationships.Methods: An cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 433 Chinese college students participated in the study and completed our questionnaires, which included the Exercise motivation scale (EM scale), the Physical exercise scale (PE scale), and the Mental health scale (MH scale).Results: The findings revealed a significant and positive relationship between all five categories of exercise motivation and the MH of college students. Specifically, FM was found to have the most pronounced impact on MH, followed by HM, ABM, SM, and APM, in descending order of influence. Furthermore, the impacts of HM, FM, ABM, and SM on MH were found to be partially mediated by PE. However, the association between APM and MH was entirely mediated by PE.Discussion: The present study contributes to enhancing the comprehension of the underlying mechanisms behind different exercise motivations in relation to PE and MH. Additionally, it offers practical implications for developing intervention strategies for improving the MH of college students.

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.

The rapidly evolving and competitive professional environment has significantly intensified the problem of work–family conflict (WFC) among employees. With the advancement of China’s economy and society, this conflictual relationship has gained prominence and has exerted various detrimental effects on individuals and businesses. Based on the job demand–resource framework, this study investigated how employees’ perception of a high-commitment work system (WFC) relates to their work-family conflict, with job embeddedness (JE) as a mediator, and examined the moderating role of gender. A convenience sampling questionnaire survey was conducted among employees in Hainan Province, China, yielding 599 valid responses. Hayes’ PROCESS software was used to validate the proposed hypotheses. Employees’ perceived HCWSs are positively correlated with WFC, and JE partially mediated the relationship between perceived HCWSs and WFC. Additionally, gender moderated the latter part of the mediation pathway, specifically the relationship between JE and WFC. Effective management of human resource systems is crucial in alleviating employees’ WFC stemming from HCWSs and JE. Additionally, gender equality policies should be implemented to ensure equal career opportunities and family support for female employees. These measures will not only enhance employees’ satisfaction and well-being but also contribute to the sustainable development of organizations. Not applicable.

The creative performance (CP) of university teachers serves as a key driver in enhancing teaching quality and advancing academic progress. Grounded in social cognition theory (SCT), the present study developed a chain mediation model to examine the mechanism through which organizational innovation atmosphere (OIA) in higher education institutions influenced teachers' CP within the Chinese educational context, specifically testing the sequential mediating roles of learning goal orientation (LGO) and feedback-seeking behavior (FSB). Data were collected via a survey of 389 university teachers in China. Results indicated that: (1) OIA among campus, teachers' LGO, and FSB each exerted a significant positive effect on CP; (2) LGO and FSB played a complete chain-mediated role between OIA and CP, which meant OIA enhanced teachers' LGO, increased their engagement in FSB, and fostered a greater level of CP. By adopting an "environment-person-behavior" theoretical lens, the present study advances understanding of the mechanisms underlying teachers' CP. It not only provides empirical support for the application of SCT theory in higher education contexts but also yields theoretical insights and practical implications for innovation management in Chinese universities by cultivating supportive organizational climates and nurturing teachers' intrinsic motivation to promote their CP.