Emerging adults' psychological flexibility mediates anxiety to accomplishment: Is self-transcendence capacity a moderator?

• Main Author: Villaseñor, Patricka Coliflores
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: Anxiety; Adaptability (Psychology); Clinical Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_psych/72; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_psych/article/1071/viewcontent/2024_Villasenor_Emerging_adults_psychological_flexibility_mediates_anxiety_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Previous research shows that anxiety and accomplishment have a negative association. However, not much is known about the mechanisms underlying their relationship. Relational frame theory suggests that psychological flexibility may mediate between anxiety and accomplishment. Existential positive psychology also indicates that self-transcendence capacity may harness the benefits of high anxiety and low psychological flexibility. Thus, this study tested the mediating role of psychological flexibility and the moderating role of self-transcendence capacity in the link between anxiety and accomplishment. Four hundred-seven Filipino emerging adults aged 18-25 completed the online questionnaire. Hayes’ Process Macro was used to conduct the mediation and moderated mediation analyses. Results revealed that: (1) anxiety did not directly predict accomplishment; (2) anxiety indirectly influenced accomplishment via psychological flexibility; and (3) although self-transcendence capacity did not moderate the model, it positively predicted accomplishment. Findings suggest that: (1) anxiety diminishes psychological flexibility, which, in turn, lowers accomplishment; and (2) accomplishment can be increased through self-transcendence capacity. Thus, targeting the psychological flexibility and self-transcendence capacity of emerging adults can foster feelings of accomplishment. Future research can also examine the role of self-transcendence capacity in other developmental stages.