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 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.