(2025) Science and education, 4, 70-7. Odessa.

Kristina Petryk,
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor,
Head of the Department of Pedagogy,
Faculty of Psychological and Pedagogical Education and Arts,
Berdyansk State Pedagogical University,
55A, Universytetska Str., Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0615-5217 

Iryna Skliar,
Master’s Degree Applicant in Educational Sciences (Level II),
Faculty of Psychological and Pedagogical Education and Arts,
Berdyansk State Pedagogical University,
55A, Universytetska Str., Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1129-2205

ADAPTIVE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS IN STATES OF CHRONIC ANXIETY: EMERGING MODELS OF INTERPERSONAL REGULATION

The article examines the characteristics of chronic anxiety as a determinant of interpersonal regulation among higher education students, highlighting how prolonged emotional tension transforms behavioral patterns, social interactions, and the quality of communicative engagement within the student environment. The purpose of the study is to outline conceptual approaches to understanding adaptive and maladaptive models of interpersonal regulation and to analyze the trajectories of transition between them under conditions of chronic anxiety. The paper explores the mechanisms through which anxiety influences cognitive appraisals, emotional responses, and behavioral strategies; reveals the structure of adaptive, transitional, and maladaptive patterns; and proposes a trajectory model demonstrating potential pathways from impaired regulation toward more flexible and resource-oriented forms. The findings indicate that chronic anxiety substantially affects students’ ability to maintain effective interpersonal interactions, leading to unstable communicative styles, diminished trust, and the predominance of avoidance-based behavioral strategies. The proposed model not only describes the dynamics of these processes but also identifies critical points for psychological intervention, making it valuable for teachers of higher education, psychologists, and researchers addressing issues of student emotional well-being. The practical value of the study lies in identifying factors that may facilitate a return to adaptive forms of regulation and in providing a foundation for developing preventive programs aimed at strengthening resilience and fostering balanced interpersonal interaction in higher education settings.

chronic anxiety, behavioral patterns, interpersonal regulation, social interaction, communicative strategies, adaptation, maladaptation

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