Perceived physical literacy and academic procrastination among college students: a chain mediation model of self-control resource depletion and psychological resilience

Background Academic procrastination has become increasingly common among Chinese university students and now represents a practical challenge to the quality of higher education talent cultivation. As an important foundation for fostering positive psychological qualities and behavioral regulation among college students, physical literacy has received increasing attention for its potential role in alleviating academic procrastination. Methods This study employed the Perceived Physical Literacy Scale, the College Students’ Academic Procrastination Scale, the Brief Self-Control Depletion Scale, and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale to investigate 951 students from two comprehensive universities in Shanghai, examining the effect of perceived physical literacy on academic procrastination and its underlying mechanisms. Results (1) perceived physical literacy was significantly negatively correlated with academic procrastination and self-control resource depletion, whereas it was significantly positively correlated with psychological resilience, with correlation coefficients of −0.176, −0.121, and 0.188, respectively (all p < 0.01); (2) perceived physical literacy significantly negatively predicted academic procrastination among university students ( β = −0.127, p < 0.01); (3) self-control resource depletion and psychological resilience each played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived physical literacy and academic procrastination, accounting for 20.39% and 15.53% of the total effect, respectively; and (4) self-control resource depletion and psychological resilience also exerted a significant chain mediating effect in the relationship between perceived physical literacy and academic procrastination. Conclusion These findings indicate that perceived physical literacy can inhibit academic procrastination among university students by reducing self-control resource depletion and enhancing psychological resilience. This study provides both a theoretical basis and practical implications for universities seeking to strengthen physical practice, enhance students’ perceived physical literacy, and promote normative academic behavior.