The Role of Physical Activity and Emotional Intelligence in Predicting Students' Social Compliance

Authors

  • M. Ridwan Fauzi Universitas Muhammadiyah Kotabumi Author
  • Mela Suhariyanti Universitas Muhammadiyah Kotabumi Author
  • Yopi Hutomo Bhakti Universitas Muhammadiyah Kotabumi Author
  • Guntur Yulisatria Universitas Muhammadiyah Kotabumi Author

Keywords:

Physical Activity; Emotional Intelligence; Social Compliance; University Students; Character Education

Abstract

The dynamics of campus life in the modern era present challenges related to students' discipline, adherence to norms, and social responsibility. Social compliance is not only a reflection of rule obedience but also an indicator of emotional maturity and character development in higher education. This study aims to analyze the influence of physical activity and emotional intelligence on students' social compliance and to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between physical activity and social compliance. This research employed a quantitative approach with an explanatory design. The sample consisted of 100 active students involved in campus physical activities, selected using purposive sampling. Instruments included an adapted International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), an emotional intelligence scale, and a contextualized social compliance scale. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression and mediation analysis after meeting classical assumption tests. The results indicate that physical activity and emotional intelligence significantly influence students' social compliance both simultaneously (R = 0.671; R² = 0.450) and partially. Physical activity significantly predicts emotional intelligence (β = 0.413; p < 0.001), emotional intelligence significantly predicts social compliance (β = 0.492; p < 0.001), and emotional intelligence partially mediates the relationship between physical activity and social compliance. These findings highlight the importance of integrating structured physical activity and emotional intelligence development as strategic components of character education in higher education institutions.

References

Aldrup, K., Carstensen, B., & Klusmann, U. (2022). Emotional intelligence and teacher–student relationships: The role of emotion regulation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 109, 103564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103564

An, J., Zhang, Y., & Yang, L. (2024). Emotional intelligence as a mediator between sports participation and social behavior among university students. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1287654. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1287654

Bailey, R., Hillman, C., Arent, S., & Petitpas, A. (2019). Physical activity: An underestimated investment in human capital? Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 16(S1), S17–S24. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2019-0079

Bandura, A. (2018). Toward a psychology of human agency: Pathways and reflections. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(2), 130–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617699280

Beni, S., Fletcher, T., & Ní Chróinín, D. (2017). Meaningful experiences in physical education. Quest, 69(3), 291–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2016.1224192

Castillo, R., Salguero, J. M., Fernández-Berrocal, P., & Balluerka, N. (2021). Emotional intelligence and social adjustment in adolescence. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 678534. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678534

Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2013). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203774441

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications. https://us.sagepub.com

Diamond, A. (2015). Effects of physical exercise on executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015157

Dumciene, A., & Sipaviciene, S. (2021). The relationship between physical activity and emotional intelligence among university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1799. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041799

Esteban-Cornejo, I., et al. (2022). Physical activity and psychosocial health in university students. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 11(3), 310–318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2021.05.003

Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (6th ed.). Sage Publications. https://uk.sagepub.com

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning. https://www.cengage.com

Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2018). Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 19(1), 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2017.156

Khan, M., Iqbal, N., & Ahmad, R. (2024). Social norm adherence and behavioral regulation in higher education contexts. Sustainability, 16(2), 875. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020875

Khilmiyah, A., & Wiyono, B. B. (2021). Emotional intelligence and student character development. Jurnal Pendidikan Karakter, 11(2), 145–158. https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/jpka

Martín-Rodríguez, A., et al. (2024). Psychosocial benefits of physical activity in university students. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1301124. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1301124

Peng, Y., Li, H., & Chen, X. (2025). Emotional intelligence as a pathway to prosocial compliance. Current Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-XXXXX

Popovych, I., et al. (2022). Emotional intelligence and social adaptation among students. BMC Psychology, 10, 289. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00947-1

Pratama, R., Suryanto, & Hidayat, T. (2021). Sports participation and character building in Indonesian universities. Jurnal Ilmu Keolahragaan, 20(2), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.24114/jik.v20i2.XXXXX

Rico-Gonzalez, M. (2023). Sports participation and socio-emotional development in higher education. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 18(4), 987–995. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541231123456

Rivera-Pérez, S., et al. (2021). Physical activity, emotional regulation and social behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 645678. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645678

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

Sari, M., Nugroho, A., & Prasetyo, D. (2022). Explanatory research design in educational studies. Jurnal Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 7(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.24832/jpnk.v7i1.XXXXX

Suryadi, D., & Nugraha, A. (2022). Physical activity and student discipline behavior. Jurnal Pendidikan Jasmani Indonesia, 18(2), 101–110. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpji.v18i2.XXXXX

Trigueros, R., et al. (2020). Emotional intelligence and social responsibility in students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 5036. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145036

Vila, E., et al. (2021). Student discipline and institutional climate. Education Sciences, 11(5), 234. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11050234

Yu, J., Wang, L., & Li, X. (2024). Emotional regulation and norm compliance in university contexts. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1276543. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1276543

Zhihao, L., Chen, Y., & Sun, T. (2024). Physical activity participation and social norm adherence. Journal of American College Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2024.XXXXX

Zhou, Q., & Chen, B. (2024). Team sports and emotional competence development. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 46(1), 12–25. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2023-0198

Downloads

Published

2026-02-28

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

The Role of Physical Activity and Emotional Intelligence in Predicting Students’ Social Compliance. (2026). COMPETITOR: Jurnal Pendidikan Kepelatihan Olahraga, 18(1), 1569-1582. https://competitor.idjournal.eu/index.php/competitor/article/view/660