The association between academic emotions and self-efficacy among nursing undergraduates: a cross-sectional regression analysis.

With the continuous development of nursing education, improving the learning quality and professional competence of nursing undergraduates has become an important research focus. Self-efficacy, defined as an individual's belief in their ability to successfully perform specific tasks, is considered a key psychological factor influencing learning behaviors and academic performance (; ). According to Self-Efficacy Theory, self-efficacy not only affects learning motivation but also plays a critical role in academic persistence and learning engagement (; ). Meanwhile, academic emotions have been reported to be associated with learning motivation and cognitive processing (; ). The Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions (CVT), proposed by Reinhard Pekrun in 2006, is a central theoretical framework in educational psychology for understanding achievement-related emotions (). This theory posits that individuals' perceptions of control over learning activities and value attached to outcomes are the proximal cognitive antecedents of achievement emotions, which in turn exert profound influences on motivation, learning strategies, and academic achievement (). According to CVT, academic emotions can be broadly categorized into positive emotions (e.g., enjoyment, pride) and negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, boredom), each showing distinct associations with learning behaviors. Academic emotions not only influence learning processes but are also closely associated with mental health. Positive emotions (e.g., confidence and satisfaction) are linked to higher learning engagement and better academic performance (; ), whereas negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and boredom) may increase psychological stress and are associated with risks of anxiety and depression (). In nursing education, this scale can help identify students at risk of adverse emotional states, evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions, and inform psychological support and instructional strategies. Previous studies have shown that positive academic emotions are associated with increased learning engagement and improved academic performance, whereas negative emotions have been associated with lower leaning motivation (; ). However, empirical evidence regarding the relationship between academic emotions and self-efficacy among nursing undergraduates remains limited. In particular, the independent effects of different dimensions of academic emotions on self-efficacy are not yet fully understood.