Multiple regression analysis.

Motivation, as a driving force of human behavior, is influenced by various psychological factors. Among these, emotion regulation and perceptions of academic stress have received limited attention in the context of second language learning. This study examines the interplay between emotion regulation, perceptions of academic stress, and academic motivation among university students in China who are learning English as a second language. A convenience sample of 1189 university students in China participated in the study. Data were collected using validated emotion regulation, perceptions of academic stress, and academic motivation questionnaires and analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression methods. The results reveal that emotion regulation is strongly and positively correlated with academic motivations (r = 0.73, p