Self-Concept Clarity and Social Anxiety Among Art College Students: The Sequential Mediating Role of Rejection Sensitivity and Loneliness

Background: Social anxiety poses a notable mental health risk for art-major college students. Although self-concept clarity is known to correlate with social anxiety, less is known about how rejection sensitivity and loneliness jointly explain this association. This study examined the individual mediating effects of rejection sensitivity and loneliness on the association between self-concept clarity and social anxiety among art-major college students. Furthermore, it evaluated the sequential mediating pathway of self-concept clarity → rejection sensitivity → loneliness → social anxiety along with its group-specific characteristics. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to select 543 undergraduate students majoring in art (including fine arts, design, music, and related disciplines) from Chinese universities. The sample included 377 females and 166 males, with ages ranging from 17–26 years (mean [M] = 20.52, standard deviation [SD] = 1.63). Data on self-concept clarity, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, and social anxiety were collected using standardized self-report questionnaires. The mediating effect test was conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 6). Results: Analysis of 543 art-major students showed that self-concept clarity was significantly negatively associated with social anxiety. Rejection sensitivity and loneliness each independently mediated the association between self-concept clarity and social anxiety. Additionally, the sequential mediation pathway (self-concept clarity → rejection sensitivity → loneliness → social anxiety) was statistically significant, indirect effect = −0.023, SE = 0.008, 95% CI [−0.041, −0.004]. Conclusions: Enhancing self-concept clarity among art-major college students may lower their social anxiety levels by decreasing rejection sensitivity and alleviating loneliness. This study provides empirical support for the development of targeted intervention programs to address social anxiety in this specific population.