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The study aims to explore how sense of agency, control, and self-esteem relate to psychological distress in different cultures.

April 24, 2026Cross-Cultural ResearchOpen Access

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

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The study aims to explore how sense of agency, control, and self-esteem relate to psychological distress in different cultures.
Comparative analysis of 501 U.S. and 336 Chinese undergraduate students.
Assessment of levels of agency, control, and psychological distress.
Evaluation of self-esteem as a moderator in the relationship between agency and distress.
U.S. students showed higher positive agency and personal mastery levels compared to Chinese students.
Higher agency and control generally correlated with lower psychological distress in both cultural groups.
The link between perceived constraints and psychological distress was stronger in U.S. students.

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Study examines cultural differences in agency and self-esteem's impact on psychological distress among college students.

Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.

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