The impact of cumulative ecological risk on exercise procrastination among college students: the mediating role of negative self-schema and the moderating role of self-compassion

Objective: Exercise procrastination is a prevalent issue among contemporary Chinese college students, significantly hindering their comprehensive physical and mental development. From the perspective of social ecological theory, this study aimed to explore the influence mechanism of cumulative ecological risk on college students' exercise procrastination, with a focus on the mediating role of negative self-schema and the moderating role of self-compassion. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 756 college students from three universities in Henan Province. Data were collected through a set of validated scales, including the Cumulative Ecological Risk Scale, Negative Self-Schema Subscale of the Chinese revised version of the Brief Core Schema Questionnaire (BCSQ), Procrastination in Exercise Scale, and Self-Compassion Scale. Results: (1) Cumulative ecological risk was significantly positively correlated with exercise procrastination. (2) Negative self-schema partially mediated the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and exercise procrastination. (3) Self-compassion significantly moderated the second half of the mediation pathway: the positive predictive effect of negative self-schema on exercise procrastination was stronger among college students with low self-compassion and weaker among those with high self-compassion. Conclusion: Cumulative ecological risk can not only directly predict college students' exercise procrastination but also indirectly affect it through the mediating role of negative self-schema. Moreover, self-compassion can buffer the adverse impact of negative self-schema on exercise procrastination. These findings provide a theoretical basis and practical implications for reducing college students' exercise procrastination and promoting their physical activity participation.