Bidirectional Association Between Self-Control and Internalizing Problems Among College Freshmen: A Cross-Lagged Study

For the young adult, entering tertiary education brings inevitable pressures and stresses. Faced with these stressors, students are vulnerable to internalizing problems. Both the social cognitive theory of self-regulation and hot/cool system theory suggest that while self-control plays a crucial role in protecting against internalizing problems in college students, such internalizing problems can also impair self-control. To test this idea, the present study used a two-wave longitudinal design, spanning 6 months apart, to investigate the predictive effect of self-control on subsequent internalizing problems and, conversely, the effect of internalizing problems on later self-control among college freshmen. As predicted, the results of cross-lagged model supported a bidirectional association between self-control and internalizing problems. Theoretically, these findings suggest a spiral development of self-control in relation to internalizing problems during emerging adulthood. Practically, intervention programs may target both issues of self-control and internalizing problems to optimize the psychological health of college freshmen.