Sense of Agency and Control, Self-Esteem, and Psychological Distress Among Undergraduate Students in the U.S. and China

Beliefs about oneself are closely related to one’s psychological distress, yet little is known about how different dimensions of self-perception interact to predict psychological distress and how these relationships vary across cultural contexts. This study examined cultural differences in the sense of agency and control, their associations with psychological distress, and the protective role of self-esteem among undergraduate students. The sample included 501 U.S. students and 336 Chinese students. Results revealed systematic cultural differences in agency and control: U.S. students reported higher levels of sense of positive agency and personal mastery, but lower levels of sense of negative agency and perceived constraints compared to Chinese students. Despite these cultural differences in mean values, higher agency and control were generally associated with lower psychological distress in both groups. Nevertheless, the association between perceived constraints and psychological distress was stronger among U.S. students than among Chinese students. Importantly, self-esteem was found to be a significant moderator of (by weakening) the link between sense of negative agency and psychological distress in both groups. These findings emphasize culturally nuanced patterns of psychological distress and suggest that interventions fostering a sense of agency/control and self-esteem could be effective in promoting well-being among college students across diverse cultural contexts.