Independent and Interdependent Self-Construal and Anxiety in Chinese College Students: A Path Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Increase in individualism and a coinciding increase in anxiety among Chinese youth propelled our inquiry on Chinese college students’ self-construals and their anxiety. We surveyed 335 Chinese college students (females: n = 229; 68.4%) aged 18–24 (M = 19.30, SD = 1.16) on their self-construals and anxiety. We found that the students scored similarly on interdependent self-construal and independent self-construal, but independent self-construal predicted lower anxiety score (β = –0.28, p < 0.05), while interdependent self-construal did not (β = –0.01, p = 0.86). Findings were discussed within China’s higher education context where competition is encouraged and celebrated.