Self-concept clarity and subjective social status as mediators between psychological suzhi and social anxiety in Chinese adolescents

- Suzhi was positively correlated with adolescents' SCC and SSS.
- SCC and SSS were negatively correlated with adolescents' SA.
- SCC and SSS mediate the association between suzhi and SA.
- Suzhi's indirect correlations with SA were significantly stronger via SSS than via SCC.

The aim of this study was to test if self-concept clarity and subjective social status mediate between psychological suzhi and social anxiety. Participants were 614 Chinese adolescents (40.4% male; aged 12-19 years, M = 15.49 years, SD = 1.76); they completed measures of psychological suzhi, social anxiety, self-concept clarity, and subjective social status. Structural equation modeling was used to test for a mediating effect; self-concept clarity and subjective social status were found to fully mediate between psychological suzhi and social anxiety. The indirect effect was stronger via subjective social status than via self-concept clarity. These findings suggest that self-concept clarity and subjective social status underlie psychological suzhi's effect on adolescents' social anxiety.