The impact of positive employment cognitive appraisal on college students’ employment anxiety: chain mediating effects of self-control and learning engagement

This study aimed to explore the influence of self-control and learning engagement on the positive employment cognitive appraisal and employment anxiety of college students. A questionnaire survey was conducted among a random sample of 1910 college students using the Positive Employment Cognitive Appraisal Scale for College Students, the Diagnostic Scale for Employment Anxiety of College Graduates, the Learning Engagement Scale, and the Self-Control Scale. (1) Positive cognitive appraisal of employment was found to have a significant positive correlation with both self-control and learning engagement, while demonstrating a negative correlation with employment anxiety. Similarly, self-control exhibited a positive correlation with learning engagement and a negative correlation with employment anxiety. Furthermore, learning engagement was also negatively correlated with employment anxiety. (2) Positive employment cognitive appraisal had a significant negative predictive effect on employment anxiety; self-control and learning engagement were found to play a chain mediating role in the relationship between positive employment appraisal and employment anxiety. (3) There was a masking effect on the relevant paths of learning engagement. This study highlights the importance of enhancing both self-control and continuous learning commitment to boost employment confidence. However, it is important to recognize the limitations of single-pathway explanations, and to incorporate a broader array of environmental and systemic factors in comprehensive interventions. To address employment anxiety, it is essential to start with cognitive restructuring, while concurrently enhancing self-management and learning engagement capabilities. Additionally, attention should be paid to potential environmental variables to avoid one-sidedness in mechanism explanations.