Collective resonance: social relationships outperform confidence in explaining exercise-induced happiness in a collectivist society.

Physical exercise is widely recognized as a key contributor to subjective well-being, yet the pathways underlying exercise-related happiness have largely been framed within individualistic psychological models emphasizing confidence and self-mastery. In collectivist societies, however, physical exercise is frequently embedded in shared social contexts, suggesting that its well-being benefits may rely more heavily on social relational resources. Building on this perspective, this study introduces "collective resonance" as a preliminary interpretative framework to understand the social resources linked to shared physical activity, and examines the respective roles of social relationships and confidence in explaining the association between physical exercise and happiness among Chinese adults. Using data from a nationally representative sample (N = 23,059; mean age = 42.50 years, SD = 18.45; 51% male, 49% female), regression and parallel mediation analyses were conducted. The results indicate a significant positive association between regular exercise and happiness (β = 0.371, p < 0.001). Mediation analyses show that social relationships explain a substantially larger share of this association (25.88%) than individual confidence (11.59%). In addition, the association between exercise and happiness is significantly stronger among rural residents than among urban residents. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of social relational processes in explaining exercise-related happiness in collectivist contexts and suggest that socially facilitated physical activity may be particularly positively associated with well-being.