The Impact of Moderate to High-Intensity Physical Exercise on the Perception of Negative Emotional Intensity in College Students with High Psychological Stress

Abstract

Method Employing the "Chinese College Students' Psychological Stress Scale," 47 high-stress students were divided into a 25-member experimental group and a 22-member control group. The experimental group engaged in 40-minute group rope-jumping exercises thrice weekly for 12 weeks, following ACSM guidelines. A dual-choice Oddball task assessed the exercise intervention's impact on negative emotions. Results: (1) Post-intervention, the experimental group exhibited no significant change in reaction time to negative stimuli (p > 0.05); (2) The group experienced a notable reduction in negative reaction cost post-intervention (p < 0.05); (3) Significant variances were observed in P2, N2, and P3 waveform average amplitude and latency in main condition effects (p < 0.05); (4) Under negative conditions, the control group had shorter N2 latency (p < 0.05), higher P3 amplitude (p < 0.05), and shorter P3 latency (p < 0.05) than the experimental group. Conclusion: Physical exercise intervention enhances conflict inhibition abilities in individuals with high psychological stress. However, the neurophysiological responses to varying emotional stimulus intensities are more pronounced in these students.