Exercise, Perceived Exercise-Related Cognitive Benefits, and Cognitive Flexibility: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Chinese University Students.

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined the associations between exercise frequency, duration, consistency, and cognitive flexibility among students at one Chinese university. Guided by a psychological perspective, the study evaluated the parallel mediating roles of Perceived Exercise-Related Cognitive Benefits (PECB), a self-reported psychological construct reflecting perceived cognitive benefits associated with exercise, and psychological well-being, together with the moderating role of exercise intensity. A total of 398 university students were recruited through purposive sampling and completed self-report questionnaires assessing exercise behavior, PECB, psychological well-being, cognitive flexibility, and exercise intensity. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Exercise frequency (β = 0.18, p < 0.001) and exercise consistency (β = 0.15, p = 0.002) were positively associated with cognitive flexibility, whereas exercise duration was not significantly associated (β = 0.06, p = 0.312). Significant indirect associations through PECB linked exercise frequency (β = 0.102) and consistency (β = 0.125), but not duration, to cognitive flexibility. Psychological well-being showed significant indirect associations with all three exercise dimensions, including exercise duration (indirect β = 0.092). Exercise intensity significantly moderated the associations of PECB (β = 0.22) and psychological well-being (β = 0.19) with cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest that greater exercise frequency and consistency, rather than exercise duration, were associated with greater self-reported cognitive flexibility. Future longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to further examine these associations and clarify the psychological processes underlying the relationships among exercise, perceived cognitive benefits, psychological well-being, and cognitive flexibility.