The more self-control, the more anxious?— A network analysis study of the relationship between self-control and psychological anxiety among Chinese university students

The present study offered a new perspective on the relationship between self-control and anxiety using network analysis for the first time. The control component Without thinking (SC7) was an important concept influencing the negative correlation of anxiety, and Physical exertion (A6) and Scared (A7) were core symptoms in the total network. Heterogeneity analyses showed a tendency for the more self-controlled to be more anxious in the anxiety positive sample. These results may be a potential target for preventing and intervening anxiety in university students.