Multi-Dimensional Coupling Mechanism between University Governance System and Students’ Social-Emotional Evolution under the Dynamic Emotional Perspective

In the process of modernizing higher education, the dynamic evolution of students’ socio-emotional competence and the multidimensional interaction of the higher education governance system constitute the core mechanisms affecting educational quality. Drawing on the intersection of the sociology of emotions and governance theory, this paper integrates interactive ritual chain theory and governance network theory to construct a coupled “emotion-governance” analytical framework. Through a mixed-methods study of a typical university, the paper reveals how SECs develop through the mechanism of affective dynamics, driven by institutional rules, organizational culture, and technological intermediaries. The paper finds that governance rule density and SEC growth have an inverted U-shaped relationship: rigid institutions enhance the sense of control and promote goal management ability before the critical value, but overloaded rules trigger emotional dissipation, leading to a decline in responsible decision-making ability. Meanwhile, the emotional connection between teachers and students empowers the development of SECs via a dual transmission path: emotional support directly strengthens relational skills and indirectly enhances self-management ability through academic efficacy. Finally, the algorithmic recommendation system generates the “emotional bubble effect”, and the collaborative filtering platform increases homogeneity in students’ social circles, significantly inhibiting the development of social awareness. This paper indicatively proposes an “Adaptive Emotional Governance Network” model consisting of a participatory decision-making module, a cultural immersion system and a digital twin laboratory functioning as an emotional adjustment centre. This model has been empirically verified to increase the growth rate of SECs in conflict situations.