Open Access

ARTICLE

Growth Mindset, Sense of Control, and Academic Anxiety: The Longitudinal Relations Among Early Adolescents in China

Shunying Zhao¹, Junmo Luo², Yun Tian³, Yuanyuan Wen¹, Liren Yin¹, Xingjuan Liu^1,*

1 School of Education Science, Jiaying University, Meizhou, China
2 School of Public Policy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
3 Bijie Preschool Education College, Dafang County, Bijie, China

* Corresponding Author: Xingjuan Liu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: AI Generation's Impact on Family, School Environment, and Mental Health)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2026, 28(6), 12 https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.077671

Received 15 December 2025; Accepted 25 March 2026; Issue published 23 June 2026

Abstract

Objectives: Academic anxiety is a prevalent emotional challenge among adolescents and has been linked to intelligence beliefs. Although prior research connects growth mindset to academic anxiety, the role of perceived control remains unclear. This longitudinal study aimed to examine whether sense of control mediates the relationship between growth mindset and academic anxiety in early adolescents. Methods: A three-wave longitudinal design was conducted with 407 early adolescents (Mean_age = 13.75, 61.18% female) recruited from two public middle schools in southern China. Participants completed self-report measures of growth mindset, sense of control, and academic anxiety at three time points over six months. Cross-lagged panel models were fitted using structural equation modeling to examine prospective relationships and mediating effects. Results: Growth mindset was positively related to sense of control (rs ≥ 0.15, ps < 0.01), which was in turn negatively related to academic anxiety (rs ≤ −0.12, ps < 0.05). T1 growth mindset positively predicted T2 sense of control (β = 0.12, p < 0.01), while T2 sense of control negatively predicted T3 academic anxiety (β = −0.16, p < 0.01). T2 sense of control partially mediated the relationship between T1 growth mindset and T3 academic anxiety (β = −0.019, 95% CI = [−0.114, −0.012]). Conclusion: The findings indicated that sense of control mediated the relationship between growth mindset and academic anxiety over time. These findings suggest that school-based interventions targeting both growth mindset and perceived control may help prevent academic anxiety in early adolescents.

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