Self-Control and Affect Regulation Styles Predict Anxiety Longitudinally in University Students

Abstract

The performance and well-being of university students is influenced by many factors, including self-control and affect regulation, but little is known about how these factors relate. We therefore analyzed data from a multi-site research project that assessed trait self-control, affect regulation, and anxiety in a longitudinal cohort design (N = 1314) using structural equation modeling. We specifically tested hypotheses that trait self-control, assessed upon entering school, would predict anxiety outcomes during students’ third year, and this relationship would be mediated by affect regulation styles (adaptive or maladaptive). We found that greater self-control did predict lower third-year anxiety, even after accounting for anxiety levels upon entering school. Furthermore, this relationship was partially mediated by maladaptive affect regulation, where students with greater self-control endorsed less use of maladaptive coping strategies (e.g., denial, self-blame), which in turn predicted less subsequent anxiety. In contrast, adaptive coping strategies did not mediate the relationship between trait self-control and anxiety. These findings highlight trait self-control as an important predictor of anxiety, and they identify maladaptive affect regulation as a target for interventions to promote student well-being and success.