Trait mindfulness and aggressive behavior in physical education undergraduates: a cross-sectional serial mediation analysis of anger rumination and self-control.

BACKGROUND

Physical education undergraduates are frequently exposed to high-arousal, confrontational situations during training and competition, where aggressive behavior can disrupt athletic order and team functioning. Although trait mindfulness has been associated with aggression-related outcomes, the statistical pathways in sport contexts remain unclear. This study examined whether anger rumination and self-control showed statistical indirect effects in the association between trait mindfulness and aggressive behavior.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 786 physical education undergraduates at a university in Xinjiang, China, from February 13 to 20, 2026, via the Wenjuanxing platform. Trait mindfulness, anger rumination, self-control, and aggressive behavior were assessed, and confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-construct measurement model. A serial mediation model (mindfulness → anger rumination → self-control → aggressive behavior) was estimated using PROCESS Model 6 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples, controlling for sex and academic year.

RESULTS

Trait mindfulness was negatively associated with aggressive behavior (total effect, unstandardized B = -0.632, 95% CI [-0.689, -0.575]); it was also negatively associated with anger rumination and positively associated with self-control. The total indirect effect was significant (unstandardized B = -0.314, 95% CI [-0.362, -0.266]), as were indirect effects via anger rumination (B = -0.127, 95% CI [-0.165, -0.092]) and self-control (B = -0.136, 95% CI [-0.171, -0.101]) and the serial indirect effect (B = -0.051, 95% CI [-0.068, -0.037]). The direct association remained significant after accounting for the indirect effects (B = -0.318, 95% CI [-0.383, -0.252]).

CONCLUSION

Higher trait mindfulness was associated with lower aggressive behavior, and this association was partly accounted for by lower anger rumination and higher self-control. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as statistical associations and indirect effects rather than evidence of temporal ordering or causality; longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to test temporal ordering and causality.