According to Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China (2007), college students with financial difficulties refer to those “whose personal and family financial resources are insufficient to cover the basic costs of tuition and essential living expenses during their academic studies.” The classification system for these students adopts a three-tier structure: moderately disadvantaged, disadvantaged, and severely disadvantaged, with differentiated criteria applied to each category (Fujian Provincial Department of Education, 2023). The criteria for identifying students with special financial difficulties include: (1) recipients of special hardship support, or students from families receiving subsistence allowances or at the marginal level of such allowances; (2) orphans, HIV-infected students, and de facto parentless students; (3) students with disabilities; (4) children of martyrs, role models, military personnel, police officers, or comprehensive fire rescue team members who died or were disabled (grade 1–4) in the line of duty; and (5) children of entitled beneficiaries. Students from financially disadvantaged families are defined as those with disabled parents. General financial difficulty refers to students whose family economic status falls between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged, bordering on the threshold of financial hardship. In actual assessment process, the final classification is determined through comprehensive evaluation of students' authentic financial hardships, which may result from medical expenses, natural disasters, or other adversities affecting either the students themselves or their cohabiting family members.

Social anxiety is one of the most common forms of anxiety (Jarcho et al., 2015; Fernández et al., 2018). It refers to the individual's expected negative evaluation of real or imagined social situations, as well as excessive expectations of making a good impression on others. When this expectation is beyond the scope of one's ability, it causes extreme uneasiness, accompanied by physiological reactions such as nervousness, blushing, and difficulty in expression. It also produces thoughts of wanting to escape (Purdon et al., 2001). This represents a prevalent form of social dysfunction among economically disadvantaged college students. Due to financial constraints, these students frequently exhibit low self-esteem, social isolation, and elevated anxiety in interpersonal contexts. Characteristically, they adopt self-isolating and marginalizing behaviors as maladaptive coping mechanisms to avoid social engagement (Luo et al., 2009; Guha, 2014). Drawing upon Social Exchange Theory (Homans, 1958), college students with financial difficulties tend to perceive their social resource endowment as a form of “disadvantage” and anticipate it may evolve into “negative capital” that could yield adverse outcomes. This cognitive appraisal heightens their sensitivity to negative evaluations in social interactions, consequently predisposing them to adopt avoidance strategies such as social withdrawal to minimize interpersonal engagement (Hofmann and DiBartolo, 2010). From the perspective of Erikson's psychosocial development theory (Erikson, 1968), the university period represents a critical transitional phase from adolescence to early adulthood, during which the primary developmental task involves establishing meaningful friendships while overcoming feelings of isolation. A multinational study spanning seven countries showed that the proportion of young people suffering from social anxiety ranges from 23% to 58% (Jefferies, 2020), while 87.8% of Chinese college students experience varying degrees of social anxiety (Stein et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2021). National statistics indicated that approximately 20% of Chinese university students come from economically disadvantaged families (Guo, 2020). These demographic faces unique psychosocial developmental dilemmas: while possessing strong innate needs for social connection, they simultaneously experience significant interpersonal conflicts due to resource deprivation stemming from financial constraints. This fundamental tension between social motivation and structural limitation predisposes this population to heightened vulnerability to social anxiety disorders. Further research indicated that the severity of social anxiety among college students with financial difficulties is significantly correlated with psychological resilience, particularly self-acceptance capacity (Neff, 2003). As a critical psychological resource, self-acceptance effectively buffers social stress and regulates anxiety responses. This empirical finding provides both theoretical justification and practical avenues for starting from the perspective of interpersonal relationship intervention aimed at enhancing the social adaptation capabilities of this student population.

Self-acceptance refers to an individual's positive attitude toward themselves and their inherent characteristics (Zheng, 2017), representing an emotional and attitudinal embrace of their actual self (Zhang, 2016). It plays a crucial role in healthy psychological development (Cong and Gao, 1999). Individuals with high self-acceptance tend to exhibit stronger cooperative abilities and better interpersonal skills (Ryan and Deci, 2000). Among college students, the level of self-acceptance are positively correlated with the quality of interpersonal relationships-the higher the self-acceptance, the more harmonious an individual's social interactions tend to be (Hu, 2011). Furthermore, self-acceptance negatively predicts negative emotional states such as anxiety and depression (Cunha and Paiva, 2012), and shows a strong positive correlation with self-esteem (Macinnes, 2010; Zhang et al., 2019). Core self-evaluation is a new approach to personality research (Liu, 2023) that involves the most basic evaluation and overall estimation of an individual's ability and value and thus forms the basis for other evaluations related to specific situations (Judge and Bono, 2001) and includes four core traits: self-esteem, locus of control, neuroticism, and self-efficacy (Judge et al., 1997; Du et al., 2007; Chen and Xiong, 2023). It serves as the most generalized self-perception (Judge et al., 2003). Studies indicate that individuals with high core self-evaluations experience less stress and tension, as well as fewer negative emotions such as fear and anxiety (Brunborg, 2008; Kammeyer-Mueller et al., 2009), compared to those with low core self-evaluation (Zhou et al., 2017). It can thus be inferred that there is a positive correlation between self-acceptance and core self-evaluation.

The cognitive model of social anxiety suggests that social anxiety originates from the fear of social evaluation and negative self-evaluation in anticipation of social dilemmas (Bautista and Hope, 2015). Social anxiety is thus closely related to self-evaluation. Individuals with low self-evaluation tend to be unable to view themselves correctly and find that it is not easy to engage in positive social interactions with others. This results in avoidance and social anxiety (Tian, 2007). Research has indicated that core self-evaluation can directly and negatively predict social anxiety: the lower the level of core self-evaluation, the higher the level of social anxiety tends to be (Hong and Song, 2014; Wen et al., 2016). Core self-evaluation can also have an indirect impact on social anxiety through factors such as sense of security, self-differentiation, and self-acceptance (Li and Meng, 2018; Yang, 2019; Wang et al., 2023). We therefore hypothesized that self-acceptance mediates the relationship between core self-evaluation and social anxiety among impoverished college students.

In the theoretical model guiding the present study, the dependent variable was the social anxiety of impoverished college students, core self-evaluation was the independent variable, and self-acceptance was the mediating variable.

Based on the conceptual framework shown in Figure 1, the following hypothesizes were proposed:

The participants in this study were chosen through random sampling and comprised 547 impoverished college students, including students majoring in the natural sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary studies, thus ensuring a broad representation of academic prospects. Participants completed the questionnaire in July 2024 under the supervision of the researchers. A total of 547 valid questionnaires were collected, comprising 234 male participants (42.8%) and 313 female participants (57.2%). The sample distribution across academic years was as follows: 130 freshmen (23.8%), 190 sophomores (34.7%), 166 juniors (30.3%), and 61 seniors (11.2%). Regarding geographical background, 249 participants (45.5%) came from urban areas while 298 (54.5%) were from rural regions. All participants were selected from the financial aid registry of college students with financial difficulties, which was established under the Fujian Province Identification Measures for Economically Disadvantaged Students (Fujian Provincial Department of Education, 2023), with prior informed consent obtained from each participant.

Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS v. 4.2. First, common method bias assessed using exploratory factor analysis. Means and standard deviations were determined for each variable, along with Pearson correlation analyses. The bias-corrected non-parametric percentile bootstrap method was then applied to evaluate the mediated effects (Wen and Ye, 2014). Hayes's PROCESS macro model 6 was adopted to estimate mediation effects; this involved a resampling process with 5,000 iterations to establish a 95% confidence interval.

Exploratory factor analysis was adopted to assess potential common method bias (Zhou and Long, 2004), and the results showed that there were seven factors with eigenvalues greater than 1. The rate of variance explained by the first factor was 30.1%, which is less than the critical standard of 40%. This indicated that common method bias was not a problem in this study.

The descriptive statistics of all variables are presented in Table 1. Comparative analysis was conducted based on the results for core self-evaluation, self-acceptance, and social anxiety in this study and the results of previous studies. In the present study, the core self-evaluation scores (M = 35.19, SD = 5.95) of impoverished college students were significantly lower than the sample mean 37.5 in the study by Du et al. (2012; t = −7.300, p < 0.001), which indicates relatively low levels of core self-evaluation in the current cohort. The self-acceptance score (M = 40.66, SD = 6.39) was also significantly lower than the sample mean of 42.06 points in the study by Cong and Gao (1999; t = −5.115, p < 0.001), which indicates a generally low level of self-acceptance among impoverished college students. The social anxiety score (M = 46.62, SD = 8.53) was significantly higher than the sample mean of 38.78 points in the study by Peng et al. (2004; t = 21.492, p < 0.001), which indicates a relatively high level of social anxiety among the current cohort of impoverished college students.

The results of the correlation analysis for core self-evaluation, self-acceptance, and social anxiety are shown in Table 2. Social anxiety was significantly negatively correlated with both core self-evaluation (r = −0.533, p < 0.001) and self-acceptance (r = −0.691, p < 0.001). Self-acceptance was significantly positively correlated with core self-evaluation (r = 0.691, p < 0.001). It thus appears there are close relationships among core self-evaluation, self-acceptance, and social anxiety, with pairwise correlations.

The correlation analysis results indicated that there were significant pairwise correlations between core self-evaluation, self-acceptance, and social anxiety among college students with financial difficulties. Therefore, the mediating effect of self-acceptance can be further examined (Wen et al., 2004). The bias corrected non-parametric percentile Bootstrap method in Hayes's PROCESS macro-model 6 was used to test for the mediating effect, and the model was resampled 5,000 times to test the model fit and the significance of each path coefficient (Hayes, 2012). The results of the sequential tests are shown in Table 3. When core self-evaluation was taken as the independent variable for regression analysis, the regression coefficient c was −0.763, and the test result is significant (t = −14.687, p < 0.001). Core self-evaluation thus significantly and positively predicts self-acceptance. Regression coefficient a was 0.741, and the test result was significant (t = 22.329, p < 0.001), so self-acceptance significantly and negatively predicts social anxiety. Regression coefficient b was −0.787, and the test result was significant (t = −13.564, p < 0.001). With social anxiety as the dependent variable, and core self-evaluation and self-acceptance as independent variables, the regression coefficient c' was −0.180, and the test result was significant (t = −2.891, p < 0.01). The standardized regression coefficients c, a, b, and c' all reached the level of significance. Additionally, the mediation effect value for college students with financial difficulties was −0.583, accounting for 76.4% of the total effect. Specific results are presented in Table 4, indicating that self-acceptance thus partially mediated the relationship between the core self-evaluation and social anxiety of impoverished college students. The path diagram of the mediating effect is shown in Figure 2.

Departing from prior research on general college student populations, this study specifically targets college students with financial difficulties to analyze how core self-evaluation and self-acceptance influence social anxiety. The findings demonstrate that the core self-evaluation of college students with financial difficulties was significantly lower than the norm, which is consistent with the findings of Liu and Jiang (2019). The self-acceptance of impoverished college students was significantly lower than the norm. The social anxiety level of college students with financial difficulties was significantly lower than the norm, consistent with the findings of Guo (2020). Thus, college students with financial difficulties demonstrated relatively lower levels of core self-evaluation and self-acceptance. They tend to be more introverted and prone to psychological problems such as low self-esteem and timidity. In social situations, they are also likely to exhibit negative behaviors such as avoidance and withdrawal, as well as being highly likely to experience negative emotions like anxiety and depression. All these greatly reduce the willingness of these students to communicate with others. College students with financial difficulties thus appear to experience more psychological pressure due to their economic hardships. These economic challenges are detrimental to the all-around development of these students, who are influenced by various factors such as social comparison, differences in cultural capital, and employment pressure. These students were prone to doubting their own abilities, which in turn affects their self-confidence and sense of self-worth. This low sense of self-efficacy further reduces their self-evaluation (Zhou et al., 2017).

The findings indicated that there was a significant negative correlation between core self-evaluation and social anxiety among impoverished college students: the higher the core self-evaluation, the lower the level of social anxiety among these students tended to be. Self-evaluation plays a crucial role in the formation of social anxiety (Guo, 2020). This result appeared that the level of core self-evaluation affects the levels of social anxiety among impoverished college students (Wen et al., 2016; Liu and Jiang, 2019). Individuals with a high level of core self-evaluation tend to have a more positive assessment of their own abilities and values; they experience more positive emotions and possess greater self-confidence. Impoverished college students with high core self-evaluation enjoy better mental health, as this high self-assessment is beneficial to their psychological wellbeing. They also have relatively higher satisfaction with life and work (Judge, 2009). In social situations, they were more likely to hold a positive attitude and show a greater willingness to communicate, which results in a lower level of social anxiety. Furthermore, students with lower core self-evaluation consider themselves to be “of low value” and are more prone to negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Excessive negative emotional experiences increase the likelihood of triggering psychological problems in this population (Lei et al., 2018).

This study revealed that there was a significant negative correlation between self-acceptance and social anxiety among college students with financial difficulties, which is consistent with previous research findings—namely that the higher the level of self-acceptance, the lower the level of social anxiety is likely to be (Zhang, 2016; Wang et al., 2023; Leary et al., 2007). The negative emotional reactions shown by an individual in social situations are closely related to the individual's level of self-acceptance (Wang, 2021). Individuals with a high level of self-acceptance tend to have an objective understanding of themselves (Neff, 2003), and they can present themselves appropriately, rationally control their emotions (Gross, 2010), and appropriately regulate their level of social anxiety. The current findings indicate that individuals with a high level of social anxiety not only worry about negative evaluations from others in social situations, but even positive evaluations can trigger anxiety (Reichenberger and Blechert, 2018). Such individuals do not want their good performance to draw attention, nor do they wish for others' expectations of them to increase as a result (Weeks and Zoccola, 2016; Alden et al., 2008). Individuals with a low level of self-acceptance are thus prone to feeling that others look down on them, or they may magnify minor mistakes in social interactions. They are thus more likely to exhibit social behaviors of rejection and avoidance in social situations (Kong and Zhang, 2007; Weeks and Zoccola, 2016).

The model indicated that core self-evaluations in college students with financial difficulties directly and negatively predict social anxiety, suggesting that core self-evaluations play a significant role in influencing social anxiety (Judge, 2009; Orth and Robins, 2022). Individuals with higher core self-evaluations tend to maintain a more positive cognitive orientation toward their own abilities and self-worth. This stable sense of self-value enables them to exhibit dual adaptive characteristics in social interactions. On one hand, they are better able to maintain an objective assessment of social situations; on the other hand, they can effectively regulate negative information encountered in social contexts and are less likely to attribute such negative feedback to themselves. Consequently, these individuals exhibit lower levels of social anxiety (Rapee and Heimberg, 1997).

The model revealed that core self-evaluations positively predict self-acceptance among college students with financial difficulties (Judge et al., 2005), indicating that those with higher core self-evaluations tend to exhibit greater self-acceptance. Furthermore, the model demonstrated that core self-evaluations primarily influence social anxiety through the mediating role of self-acceptance, accounting for 76.4% of the total mediating effect. The findings suggested that, in social contexts, college students with financial difficulties with lower core self-evaluations were more prone to negative emotions such as social anxiety due to their lack of self-acceptance regarding their social performance (Heimberg et al., 2014). Specifically, these students often hold negative appraisals of their own social competence. When faced with social interactions, they were more likely to focus on their perceived shortcomings (Spurr and Stopa, 2002), triggering self-doubt and emotional distress. This self-critical cognitive pattern further reinforces their social avoidance behaviors and anxiety experiences, creating a vicious cycle.

This study constructed a mediation model to examine the process and mechanism through which core self-evaluations influence social anxiety among college students with financial difficulties. The results confirmed the mediating role of self-acceptance in the relationship between core self-evaluations and social anxiety, validating the proposed mediation model: core self-evaluations → self-acceptance → social anxiety. The findings partially support the core assumption of interpersonal theory, which posits that individuals' negative self-evaluations (low core self-evaluations) may impair self-acceptance, thereby contributing to social anxiety. This discovery not only provides empirical support for interpersonal theory but also offers a novel theoretical perspective for understanding the formation of social anxiety among college students with financial difficulties. Furthermore, it holds significant practical implications for designing targeted psychological interventions.

Notwithstanding its contributions, this study had several limitations that warrant consideration. First, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences regarding the relationships among core self-evaluation, self-acceptance, and social anxiety in college students with financial difficulties. Second, reliance on self-report measures may introduce biases such as social desirability effects. Third, the sample was restricted to students from a single geographic region, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings due to homogeneous cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. Finally, while the study identified self-acceptance as a mediator, other salient factors (e.g., social support, self-esteem, psychological resilience) that may influence social anxiety were not examined. Future research should incorporate these variables to elucidate the complex mechanisms underlying social anxiety in this population, enhance the explanatory power of the mediation model, and provide novel insights for developing targeted interventions to improve their psychosocial wellbeing.

This study explored the potential factors influencing the relationship between core self-evaluation on social anxiety among college students with financial difficulties. This study also explored the mediating role of self-acceptance in this relationship. This makes a theoretical contribution to the study of college students' social anxiety, particularly for the population of Chinese college students with financial difficulties. In following up on the theoretical contributions and applying them to practice, Chinese education managers could pursue interventions targeting the social anxiety of college students with financial difficulties by cultivating their core self-evaluation to improve self-acceptance and alleviate social anxiety.

Core self-evaluation, self-acceptance, and social anxiety were negatively correlated among impoverished college students, while self-acceptance and core self-evaluation were positively correlated. Self-acceptance partially mediated the relationship between core self-evaluation and social anxiety. These findings provided a theoretical basis for interventions to prevent or reduce social anxiety in this population. Such interventions could be carried out by reducing these students' negative thoughts about themselves, others, and the outside world while enhancing their core self-evaluation levels and decreasing social avoidance and withdrawal behaviors.

Due to the restrictions of time, funds, and resources, this study has some limitations. First, data collection completely depended on self-report tools, and the reliability of the results may have been affected by social expectations. Second, all participants in this study were undergraduate students recruited from a single university. This sampling characteristic may limit the generalizability of our findings across different age groups and cultural contexts. Consequently, the current results should be interpreted as most applicable to economically disadvantaged college students within East Asian cultural settings. Finally, while our sample size (N = 547) meets basic statistical requirements, future studies should incorporate additional variables closely related to social anxiety (e.g., self-esteem, social support) to better understand the underlying mechanisms and improve the mediation model's explanatory power regarding economically disadvantaged undergraduates' mental health.