The influence of physical exercise on college students’ prosocial behavior: the chain mediating role of social conscientiousness and general self-efficacy

Purpose: This study investigates the relationships among physical exercise (PE), social conscientiousness (SC), general self-efficacy (GSE), and prosocial behavior (PB) in college students. Methods: A scale was administered to 409 college students, and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 28.0 and Process 4.1. Results: < 0.001). (3) The effect value of indirect path 1 (PE → SC → PB) was 0.009, representing 38.9% of the total effect; the effect value of indirect path 2 (PE → GSE → PB) was 0.004, accounting for 16.9% of the total effect; and the effect value of indirect path 3 (PE → SC → GSE → PB) was 0.002, constituting 10.4% of the total effect. Conclusion: Physical exercise directly influences college students' prosocial behavior and also exerts an indirect effect through social conscientiousness and general self-efficacy.