The relationship between social anxiety and academic engagement among Chinese college students: A serial mediation model

Abstract

BackgroundFew studies have elucidated the mechanisms linking social anxiety and academic engagement. This study aimed to explore the link between social anxiety and academic engagement through a series of mediating effects of social media addiction and sleep quality among college students. Methods2661 college students completed the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Student. The serial mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 6). ResultsSocial anxiety had a significantly direct effect on academic engagement (c = −0.162, p < 0.001) and through three significantly indirect pathways: (1) through social media addiction (B = −0.019, 95% CI: −0.027 to −0.011), accounting for 11.7% of the total effect; (2) through poor sleep quality (B = −0.043, 95% CI: −0.052 to−0.034), accounting for 26.5% of the total effect; and (3) through the serial mediators involving in social media addiction and poor sleep quality (B = −0.007, 95% CI: −0.009 to −0.005), accounting for 4.3% of the total effect. The total mediating effect was 42.6%. LimitationsThis cross-sectional study prevented us from establishing causality. ConclusionsThis study highlights the serial mediating role of social media addiction and sleep quality, the behavior and lifestyle factors, in the relationship between social anxiety and academic engagement. Therefore, social media addiction and sleep quality interventions for college students with social anxiety have the potential to improve their academic engagement.