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Can Flow Alleviate Anxiety? The Roles of Academic Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in Building Psychological Sustainability and Resilience

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  • Yanhui Mao

    (School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
    Department of Psychology and Behavior Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China)

  • Rui Yang

    (Psychological Research and Counseling Center, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China)

  • Marino Bonaiuto

    (Dipartimento di Psicologia dei Processi di Sviluppo e Socializzazione, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma 00185, Italy)

  • Jianhong Ma

    (Department of Psychology and Behavior Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China)

  • László Harmat

    (Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Psychology, Linnaeus University, Växjö 35195, Sweden)

Abstract

A growing number of studies suggest that flow experience is associated with life satisfaction, eudaimonic well-being, and the perceived strength of one’s social and place identity. However, little research has placed emphasis on flow and its relations with negative experiences such as anxiety. The current study investigated the relations between flow and anxiety by considering the roles of self-esteem and academic self-efficacy. The study sample included 590 Chinese university students, who were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire on flow, anxiety, self-esteem, and academic self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS software, in which both factorial analysis and path analysis were performed. Results revealed that the experience of flow negatively predicted anxiety, and both self-esteem and academic self-efficacy fully mediated the path between flow and anxiety. Specifically, self-esteem played a crucial and complete mediating role in this relationship, while academic self-efficacy mediated the path between self-esteem and anxiety. Our findings enrich the literature on flow experience and help with identifying practical considerations for buffering anxiety and more broadly with fostering strategies for promoting psychological sustainability and resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Yanhui Mao & Rui Yang & Marino Bonaiuto & Jianhong Ma & László Harmat, 2020. "Can Flow Alleviate Anxiety? The Roles of Academic Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in Building Psychological Sustainability and Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2987-:d:343046
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marta Bassi & Patrizia Steca & Dario Monzani & Andrea Greco & Antonella Delle Fave, 2014. "Personality and Optimal Experience in Adolescence: Implications for Well-Being and Development," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 829-843, August.
    2. Lung Chen & Yun-Ci Ye & Mei-Yen Chen & I-Wu Tung, 2010. "Alegría! Flow in Leisure and Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Event Satisfaction Using Data from an Acrobatics Show," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 99(2), pages 301-313, November.
    3. Kiyoshi Asakawa, 2010. "Flow Experience, Culture, and Well-being: How Do Autotelic Japanese College Students Feel, Behave, and Think in Their Daily Lives?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 205-223, April.
    4. Amy Collins & Natalia Sarkisian & Ellen Winner, 2009. "Flow and Happiness in Later Life: An Investigation into the Role of Daily and Weekly Flow Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(6), pages 703-719, December.
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    2. María Pilar Aparicio-Flores & José María Esteve-Faubel & Rosa Pilar Esteve-Faubel & José Daniel Álvarez-Teruel, 2020. "High Academic Self-Efficacy and Dispositional Empathy in Future Teachers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-16, August.
    3. Gao, Qiufeng & Fu, En & Xiang, Yanhui & Jia, Ge & Wu, Shiyi, 2021. "Self-esteem and addictive smartphone use: The mediator role of anxiety and the moderator role of self-control," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    4. Chuanyu Peng & Guoping Yuan & Yanhui Mao & Xin Wang & Jianhong Ma & Marino Bonaiuto, 2020. "Expanding Social, Psychological, and Physical Indicators of Urbanites’ Life Satisfaction toward Residential Community: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-23, December.
    5. Umer Zaman & Laura Florez-Perez & Pablo Farías & Saba Abbasi & Muddasar Ghani Khwaja & Tri Indra Wijaksana, 2021. "Shadow of Your Former Self: Exploring Project Leaders’ Post-Failure Behaviors (Resilience, Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy) in High-Tech Startup Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-21, November.

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