Table 1_University library reading promotion and college students’ cultural development: a meta-analysis of psychological mechanisms and moderating effects.docx

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of university library reading promotion activities on college students’ cultural development and identifies the underlying psychological mechanisms and moderating factors. Synthesizing 15 studies with 22,321 participants, the analysis revealed a medium-to-large effect size [d = 0.52, 95% CI (0.41, 0.63)] with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 79.7%), indicating positive impacts on cultural knowledge, cultural identity, cultural literacy, and intercultural competence. Two-stage structural equation modeling identified five psychological mediators—reading motivation, cognitive engagement, emotional experience, self-efficacy, and cultural identity—explaining 68.4% of the total effect, with reading motivation as the predominant pathway (34.6%). Mixed-effects subgroup analyses demonstrated that blended delivery formats outperformed single-mode interventions, longer program durations yielded stronger effects, and East Asian samples exhibited larger effect sizes than Western samples. These findings provide an evidence-based framework for optimizing library-led cultural education programs in higher education settings worldwide.