Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 7, 2025
04:20
Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety
Published on: November 11, 2022
4.5K
Does Low Self-Esteem Predict Anxiety Among Chinese College Students?
Xinqiao Liu1, Xiaojie Cao2, Wenjuan Gao3
1School of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, People's Republic of China.
Psychology Research and Behavior Management
|June 20, 2022
Summary
Low self-esteem significantly contributes to increased anxiety in college students over time. Enhancing students' self-esteem is crucial for improving their mental well-being and reducing anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health Research
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Anxiety and self-esteem are significant concerns for college students.
- Understanding their longitudinal relationship is vital for mental health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between anxiety and self-esteem in Chinese college students.
- To examine how these constructs influence each other over four academic years.
Main Methods:
- A four-wave random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used.
- Data collected annually from 2473 Chinese college students over four years.
- Longitudinal analysis of anxiety and self-esteem levels.
Main Results:
- Low self-esteem prospectively predicted increased anxiety levels.
- This effect intensified progressively over the four academic years.
- No significant prospective effect of anxiety on self-esteem was found.
Conclusions:
- Self-esteem is a primary contributor to anxiety among college students.
- Interventions aimed at boosting self-esteem are recommended to alleviate student anxiety.
- Nourishing self-esteem is key to improving college students' mental health.
Related Concept Videos
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
18.4K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
18.4K
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.3K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.3K
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
40.1K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
40.1K
02:09Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
38.7K
When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...
38.7K
02:08Trait and State Self-Esteem
10.9K
The term self-esteem is often used generically, to refer to how people feel about themselves. However, according to research, there are three distinct constructs that should not be used interchangeably (Brown & Marshall, 2006).
10.9K
01:28Social Anxiety Disorder
78
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
78