Fear of positive evaluation mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and fear of negative evaluation in nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Fear of evaluation (including the negative and positive ones) has been the focus of scholarly attention as one of the core components of social anxiety. However, most existing research has focused on participants with social anxiety. Previous research has suggested that self-efficacy and fear of positive evaluation are associated with fear of negative evaluation. Still, it remains unknown whether there is an association between the three. For undergraduate nursing students in complex social environments, understanding the association between self-efficacy and fear of positive and negative evaluation is essential to facilitate the high-quality development of nursing talent. We aimed to explore the mediating role of fear of positive evaluation in the relationship between self-efficacy and fear of negative evaluation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 824 undergraduate nursing students using the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale-Straightforward Items, the Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation of the variables. t-test or ANOVA was used as a univariate analysis. A bootstrap test was conducted to verify the mediating effect through the SPSS macro plugin PROCESS v3.3, with P<0.05 indicating a statistically significant difference. Self-efficacy, fear of positive evaluation, and fear of negative evaluation were significantly associated. Self-efficacy directly and negatively predicted fear of negative evaluation (B=-3.14, p<0.001). Fear of positive evaluation partially mediated between self-efficacy and fear of negative evaluation, with a mediating effect size of 38.22%. Self-efficacy can directly and negatively influence fear of negative evaluation. Meanwhile, it can also indirectly reduce the fear of negative evaluation by reducing the fear of positive evaluation. Nursing educators can improve the fear of negative evaluation by increasing students' self-efficacy and encouraging them to view positive assessments correctly.