Academic involution and mental internal friction of college students: the mediating role of academic stress and the moderating role of rumination

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3571874/v1

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Academic involution and mental internal friction of college students: the mediating role of academic stress and the moderating role of rumination

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3571874/v1

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With the continuous development of society and the increasing intensity of competition, the issues of academic stress and mental internal friction among college students have become increasingly prominent. This phenomenon not only affects the physical and mental health of college students but also has profound implications for their academic performance and interpersonal relationships. This study aims to explore the relationships and underlying mechanisms between academic involution, mental internal friction, academic stress, and rumination. The research involved 626 college students and utilized the Academic Involution Scale, Mental Internal Friction Scale, Academic Stress Sources Scale, and Rumination Scale to collect data and establish a moderated mediation model. The results indicate that: (1) academic involution positively predicts mental internal friction; (2) academic stress plays a full mediating role in the relationship between academic involution and mental internal friction; (3) rumination moderates the pathway through which academic involution affects mental internal friction via academic stress. The study further illuminates the nature of understanding academic involution and mental internal friction issues in college students, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for higher education professionals in formulating effective intervention measures.

academic involution

mental internal friction

academic stress

rumination

moderated mediation

With the rapid development of the socio-economic landscape and the widespread adoption of the internet, the term "mental internal friction" has gained popularity in China in recent years. "Mental internal friction" is, in fact, a subtle reflection among the youth of the fast-paced societal life and the high levels of material and psychological stress at the psychological level. It is also known as "psychological inner conflict," signifying the internal struggle within an individual while exercising self-control. This inner conflict involves the incessant arguments, tug-of-wars, and clashes between two opposing "sides" with differing beliefs and viewpoints, leading to the excessive depletion of psychological resources and consequent mental fatigue. In academic and professional pursuits, it manifests as individuals aspiring to be part of the elite but hesitating due to the fear of failure. In social interactions, it is characterized by heightened emotional sensitivity, magnifying minor conflicts and friction, and the tendency to appease others to avoid conflicts. Additionally, it is reflected in the persistent dwelling on regrets from the past and apprehensions about the unknown future. The aforementioned emotional states can be considered normal psychological fluctuations within specific timeframes and contexts. However, if these emotions persist without proper adjustment and guidance, they can easily lead to a vicious cycle of anxiety, tension, self-doubt, and overthinking [1]. Mental internal friction shares similarities with the concept of ego-depletion, as both involve the depletion of psychological resources during the process of self-control [2]. The key distinction lies in the fact that mental internal friction is accompanied by inner struggles and conflicts and is long-lasting, persisting even after rest. Ego-depletion, on the other hand, emphasizes the finite nature of the cognitive resources available to individuals over consecutive time periods and does not necessarily involve inner conflicts. Ego-depletion is also transient, and with appropriate rest, particularly sleep, the resources can be restored and replenished [3].

Prior research has indicated that academic involution may have a positive impact on college students' mental internal friction [1, 4]. College students, as an essential part of the youth demographic, are a dynamic and aspirational force, making it crucial to explore the mechanisms influencing their mental internal friction for the advancement of higher education quality. Currently, empirical studies investigating the impact mechanisms of mental internal friction among college students are limited. Existing research has mainly analyzed this issue theoretically, suggesting that academic involution may contribute to the generation of mental internal friction among college students [1, 4]. However, how academic involution, characterized by excessive academic competition [5], influences mental internal friction remains an area in need of further exploration.

Studies have shown that academic stress and rumination may play roles in the process through which academic involution affects college students' mental internal friction. Scholars have argued that involution among college students is associated with stress and anxiety [5], implying that the higher the degree of academic involution, the greater the academic stress experienced by college students. Karaman and Watson found that high academic stress among college students is often closely related to negative emotions such as fear, depression, anxiety, shame, and anger [6], contributing to college students' experience of mental internal friction. Furthermore, some researchers have suggested that rumination keeps individuals trapped in a cycle of self-blame, leading to mental exhaustion over time [1]. This suggests that rumination may exacerbate mental internal friction. Given these insights, this study will examine the mediating role of academic stress in the relationship between academic involution and college students' mental internal friction and investigate whether this mediation is moderated by rumination. The aim is to provide empirical evidence for the healthy development of college students.

2.1 Academic Involution and Mental Internal Friction

The term "involution" was originally proposed by the American anthropologist Alexander Goldenweiser [7]. It describes the situation in which individuals engage in mutual competition and internal consumption in the pursuit of limited resources, akin to "malignant competition," resulting in a continuous decrease in an individual's "effort-to-benefit ratio" [8]. In recent years, this concept has gained widespread application in the field of education and typically refers to irrational competitive behaviors characterized by excessive investment by students in pursuit of limited educational resources or opportunities [9, 10]. Currently, empirical research on the relationship between academic involution and mental internal friction is notably lacking. This study aims to explore the association between academic involution and mental internal friction based on theoretical analysis from previous research. According to the Strength Model of Self-control [2], individual self-control capacity is limited, and when these finite resources are depleted, it results in a decrease in self-control energy. Consequently, earlier control tasks can influence subsequent tasks. Based on this, the present study posits that excessive academic involvement is likely to deplete a significant amount of psychological resources, potentially exacerbating mental internal friction. As Ling Xiaoxiong and Li Chunli pointed out, the extreme manifestation of involution is referred to as "involutionization," which is indicative of internal friction [8]. Additionally, some researchers [1] have suggested that in the context of degree devaluation and the acceleration of educational involution, some young individuals, when faced with the harsh realities while pursuing their goals, accumulate internal friction at an accelerated pace, characterized by self-doubt, self-criticism, and hesitancy. Based on this, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

Academic involution may have a positive predictive effect on college students' mental internal friction.

2.2 Mediating Role of Academic Stress

Academic stress refers to environmental demands and challenges within the academic setting that exceed the resources available to students, which can burden students, including academic workload, peer competition, and teacher-student relationships [11, 12]. Academic involution may increase the academic stress experienced by college students. According to classic Social Comparison Theory (SCT), individuals typically engage in comparisons with competitors and strive to surpass them to achieve self-set goals in highly competitive environments [13]. Research has found that in the cultural context of China, people often compare themselves with outstanding individuals around them, which is somewhat reflective of academic involution among college students [14, 15]. In essence, academic involution is a behavior driven by excessive learning effort due to competition [16]. This behavior may help students achieve good academic performance but can also result in substantial academic stress. Existing research [17, 18] has revealed a significant positive correlation between academic involution and anxiety and stress. Involution intensifies competition among students, leading to increased perceived stress [19]. Moreover, intense academic competition often leads to an excessive focus on academic outcomes and the accompanying stress, anxiety, and unease [20]. Thus, college students' involutionary behavior may lead to emotions such as anxiety, confusion, and unease in the academic domain, further triggering more academic stress [21]. In other words, academic involution can result in greater academic stress for college students. On the other hand, according to the General Strain Theory, individuals' experiences of stress can lead to psychological distress [22], with mental internal friction falling under the category of psychological distress. Furthermore, the Conservation of Resources Theory suggests that stress situations accelerate the depletion of individual resources [23, 24], subsequently intensifying college students' mental internal friction. Existing research has confirmed that heavy academic stress can cause physical and psychological harm to students. When students have excessively high academic demands and lack effective support, they may experience significant fatigue and various physical, emotional, cognitive, and other issues. Researchers such as Kamtsios et al. [25] have found that excessive academic stress typically has adverse effects on students' academic performance, emotions, and overall well-being. Baumeister et al. [26] have noted that many situations and behaviors, such as coping with stress, emotional regulation, thought inhibition, and impulse control, deplete individuals' self-control resources, leading to the depletion of self-control resources. Thus, this study infers that the greater the academic stress experienced by college students, the higher their level of mental internal friction. Based on the above analysis, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

Academic stress mediates the relationship between academic involution and college students' mental internal friction.

2.3 Moderating Role of Rumination

Rumination, as a negative personality trait, can play a moderating role in the process where other risk factors induce negative emotions [27, 28]. Thus, in addition to examining the mediating effect of academic stress, this study further explores the moderating role of rumination and constructs a moderated mediation model to enhance the explanatory power of the model. Rumination refers to the excessive focus on negative life events, repeatedly thinking about their causes and consequences, without actively problem-solving [29]. According to the Risk Amplification Model [30], one risk factor can amplify the effect of another risk factor. Rumination and academic stress, as two risk factors, can have a cumulative effect, significantly increasing the likelihood of an individual experiencing mental internal friction [31]. This perspective aligns with the Response Style Theory [28], which is a widely accepted theory in the field of rumination research. It posits that rumination, as a relatively stable personality trait, enhances an individual's tendency for negative and pessimistic thinking [32]. In other words, individuals with high rumination tendencies often engage in continuous and repetitive thinking about the origins of negative events and the potential adverse consequences when confronted with negative situations. This not only depletes their limited cognitive resources but also weakens their self-control abilities [33, 34]. In contrast to individuals with low rumination tendencies, those with high rumination tendencies tend to immerse themselves in negative emotions and neglect practical problem-solving, making their situations more complex and potentially triggering more negative emotions [35]. Existing research has shown that in individuals with high levels of rumination, the effects of stressful life events on negative emotions are more pronounced [36]. Furthermore, research has further confirmed that rumination plays a critical moderating role in the relationship between other psychological indicators and an individual's state [37, 38]. Based on the above analysis, when individuals engage in rumination, it leads to their dissatisfaction with their current situation, threatening their self-worth, lowering self-evaluation, and generating significant stress, resulting in an increased level of mental internal friction [39]. Therefore, individuals with high rumination tendencies experience higher levels of mental internal friction when faced with high academic stress. Based on this, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

Rumination moderates the relationship between academic stress and college students' mental internal friction.

In summary, academic involution may have a positive predictive effect on mental internal friction through academic stress, and the path through which academic stress influence mental internal friction may be moderated by rumination. This study further proposes that the second half of the path through which academic involution affects mental internal friction via academic stress may be moderated by rumination. Specifically, when rumination is high, the indirect effect of academic involution on mental internal friction through academic stress is strengthened. Conversely, when rumination is low, the indirect effect is weakened. Based on this, this study presents the following hypothesis:

Rumination moderates the indirect effect of academic involution on mental internal friction through academic stress. When rumination is high, this indirect effect is stronger, and when rumination is low, this indirect effect is weaker.

In conclusion, this study ultimately proposes a moderated mediation model (Fig. 1) with two main objectives: (1) to investigate the mediating role of academic stress in the relationship between academic involution and mental internal friction; (2) to explore the moderating role of rumination in whether academic involution affects mental internal friction through academic stress.

3.1 Data Source and Sample Characteristics

A convenience sampling method was employed to select a total of 692 college students from various universities, including Xiamen University, South China University of Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Hefei Normal University, Nanjing Tourism Vocational College, and Wuxi Business Vocational and Technical College. These universities represent different tiers of higher education institutions and have a diverse geographical distribution. A total of 66 invalid questionnaires were excluded (exclusion criteria: completion time less than 2 minutes, logically inconsistent responses in the questionnaire, numerous skipped or unanswered questions, etc.), resulting in an effective response rate of 90.46%. The basic characteristics of the sample are as follows: 336 male participants (53.7%), 290 female participants (46.3%); 249 participants with urban household registration (39.8%), 377 participants with rural household registration (60.2%); 125 participants with authoritative parenting style (20%), 142 participants with authoritarian parenting style (22.7%), 311 participants with indulgent parenting style (49.7%), and 48 participants with neglectful parenting style (7.7%); 120 participants with a difficult family economic situation (19.2%), 466 participants with a moderate economic situation (74.4%), and 40 participants with a relatively good economic situation (6.4%)(Table 1). The sample is relatively balanced in terms of demographic variables, which enhances its representativeness and helps mitigate the potential impact of sample characteristics on the study results.

Table 1

Sample Characteristics (N = 626)
Variable name		Frequency	Percentage
Gender	Male	336	53.7
Gender	Female	290	46.3
Residential Location	Rural	377	60.2
Residential Location	Urban	249	39.8
Parenting Style	Authoritative	125	20
	Authoritarian	142	22.7
	Permissive	311	49.7
	Neglectful	48	7.7
Family Economic Status	Difficult	120	19.2
	Average	466	74.4
	Good	40	6.4

3.2 Research Tools

3.2.1 Individual academic involution Scale

The Individual academic involution Scale, developed by Zhou Xiting et al. [5], was adjusted to the actual situation of college students in this study. The scale contains 6 items that primarily measure typical academic involution behaviors in the college environment, aiming to reflect the extent of academic involution among college students. A Likert 5-point rating scale was used, where a higher score indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement. The scale had a KMO value of 0.902, indicating that the research data are highly suitable for information extraction. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.914, indicating good reliability of the scale. The items were summed and averaged to obtain the variable "Individual academic involution," with a higher score indicating a higher level of academic involution.

3.2.2 Mental Internal Friction Scale

The revised Self-Regulation Fatigue Scale [40] was used. It was adjusted based on the actual situation of college students, comprising 15 items that primarily measure cognitive, emotional, and behavioral exhaustion. The scale aims to reflect the level of mental fatigue experienced by individuals. A Likert 5-point rating scale was used, with a higher score indicating a higher level of agreement with the statement. The scale had a KMO value of 0.947, indicating that the research data are highly suitable for information extraction. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.940, indicating good reliability of the scale. The items were summed and averaged to obtain the variable "Mental Fatigue," with a higher score indicating a higher level of mental fatigue.

3.2.3 Academic Stress Scale

The academic stressors section of the College Student Stress Scale, developed by Solberg et al. [41], was used. The scale was adjusted based on the actual situation of college students, consisting of 6 items that primarily measure the frequency of academic stressors related to parental expectations, teacher demands, exam pressure, coursework burden, and other academic aspects. It aims to reflect the degree of academic stress experienced by college students. A Likert 5-point rating scale was used, with a higher score indicating a higher level of agreement with the statement. The scale had a KMO value of 0.883, indicating that the research data are highly suitable for information extraction. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.907, indicating good reliability of the scale. The items were summed and averaged to obtain the variable "Academic Stressors," with a higher score indicating a higher level of academic stressors.

3.2.4 Rumination Scale

The Rumination Scale was adapted from the one revised by Han Xiu and Yang Hongfei [42]. It was adjusted based on the actual situation of college students, consisting of 4 items that primarily measure the level of rumination. It aims to reflect the level of rumination among college students. A Likert 5-point rating scale was used, with a higher score indicating a higher level of agreement with the statement. The scale had a KMO value of 0.734, indicating that the research data are suitable for information extraction. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.846, indicating good reliability of the scale. The items were summed and averaged to obtain the variable "Rumination," with a higher score indicating a higher level of rumination.

3.3 Data Analysis

Data were collected using self-report methods, and common method bias was addressed using the Harman's single-factor test. The results showed that there were five factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, and the first common factor explained only 36.991% of the total variance, which is less than the critical threshold of 40%(Table 2). Therefore, this study's data did not exhibit common method bias. Furthermore, to prevent bias in moderation effects, all variables were standardized in advance. Subsequently, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS 26.0. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using the Process macro developed by Hayes (2012). The significance of the mediation effect was tested using the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method. If the confidence interval does not contain the value 0, it is considered statistically significant. Additionally, all variables were standardized in advance to avoid bias in moderation effects.

Table 2

Initial Eigenvalues
Factor	Total	Variance Percentage	Cumulative Percentage %
1	11.837	36.991	36.991
2	4.499	14.058	51.049
3	2.445	7.64	58.689
4	1.684	5.262	63.951
5	1.156	3.613	67.564

4.1 Correlation Analysis among Major Variables

Correlation analysis was conducted among the major variables, namely individual academic involution, mental internal friction, academic stress, and rumination. Given that these major variables are continuous in nature, the Pearson correlation coefficient test was employed. The results revealed significant positive correlations among individual academic involution, mental internal friction, academic stress, and rumination(Table 3).

Table 3

Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Matrix for Variables
Variables	M	SD	1	2	3	4
1.Individual academic involution	2.87	0.77	1.00
2. mental internal friction	3.02	0.80	.184**	1.00
3. academic stress	3.01	0.75	.357**	.552**	1.00
4. rumination	3.37	0.95	.129**	.649**	.343**	1.00
Note: represents p < 0.05, represents p < 0.01, **represents p < 0.001.

4.2 Mediation Analysis

First, using Model 4 (a simple mediation model) from the SPSS macro developed by Hayes (2012), the mediating effect of academic stress on the relationship between individual academic involution and mental internal friction was tested. The specific results are shown in the table below(Table 4). Individual academic involution had a significant positive predictive effect on mental internal friction (β = 0.1895, t = 4.6732, p < 0.001), supporting Hypothesis 1. After adding the mediating variable academic stress, the positive predictive effect of individual academic involution on academic stress remained significant (β = 0.3460, t = 9.5546, p < 0.001), and the positive predictive effect of academic stress on mental internal friction was significant (β = 0.5937, t = 15.6055, p < 0.001). However, the effect of individual academic involution on mental internal friction was not significant (β = -0.0159, t = -0.4315, p = 0.6663 > 0.05). Following the approach of Wen Zhonglin's mediation analysis, it can be concluded that academic stress mediates the relationship between individual academic involution and mental internal friction, and this mediation is complete, with a mediation effect proportion of 100%, supporting Hypothesis 2.

Table 4

Mediating Effect of Academic Stress
Variables	MIF			AS		MIF
Variables	β		t	β	t	β	t
IAI	0.1895***	4.6732		0.3460***	9.5546	-0.0159	-0.4315
AS						0.5937***	15.6055
R-sq	0.0338			0.1276		0.3054
F	21.8389***			91.2905***		136.9294***
Note: * represents p < 0.05, represents p < 0.01, * represents p < 0.001;

IAI means Individual academic involution, MIF means Mental internal friction, AS means Academic stress; β is the standardized coefficient; R-sq is the adjusted R-squared.

To further validate the mediating effect of academic stress, a bootstrap sampling method (with 5000 samples) was employed, and the results are summarized in the table below(Table 5). The results indicate that the confidence interval of the indirect effect does not include 0, while the confidence interval of the direct effect does include 0. This implies the presence of an indirect effect and the absence of a direct effect, supporting the notion that academic stress act as a complete mediator.

Table 5

Decomposition of Mediation Effects
Effect Name	Effect Value	Bootstrap S.E.	LLCI	ULCI	Mediation Effect Ratio
Indirect Effect	0.2054	0.0409	0.1284	0.2884	100%
Direct Effect	-0.0159	0.0368	0.6663	-0.0882	100%

4.3 Moderation effect test

Once again, using Model 14 from the SPSS PROCESS macro developed by Hayes (2012), the following table is generated(Table 6). After the inclusion of the moderating variable, rumination, it was observed that individual academic involution positively predicts academic stress (β = 0.346, t = 9.5546, p < 0.001), and academic stress positively predicts mental internal friction (β = 0.1581, t = 1.9762, p < 0.05). The effect of individual academic stress on mental internal friction remains non-significant (β=-0.0224, t=-0.7557, p = 0.4501 > 0.05), indicating that the complete mediation of academic stress on the relationship between individual academic stress and mental internal friction still holds. Rumination is significantly positively related to mental internal friction (β = 0.2298, t = 3.5177, p < 0.01). The interaction term between academic stress and rumination is significant in the model (β = 0.0722, t = 3.3789, p < 0.01), suggesting that the interaction between academic stress and rumination can significantly influence mental internal friction, and this moderation effect is positive. Therefore, rumination moderates the relationship between academic stress and mental internal friction, providing support for Hypothesis 3.

Table 6

Test of moderated mediation effects.
Variables	AS		MIF
Variables	β	t	β	t
IAI	0.346***	9.5546	-0.0224	-0.7557
AS			0.1581*	1.9762
Rumination			0.2298**	3.5177
AS*rumination			0.0722**	3.3789
R-sq	0.1276		0.5527
F	91.2905***		191.8018***
Note: * represents p < 0.05, represents p < 0.01, * represents p < 0.001;

IAI means Individual academic involution, MIF means Mental internal friction, AS means Academic stress;

Finally, to provide a more vivid interpretation of the moderating effect of rumination on the relationship between academic stress and mental internal friction, we used one standard deviation above and below the mean of the moderating variable, rumination, to create subgroups. We obtained the moderation effect decomposition table as shown in Table 7. Additionally, we illustrated the relationship between academic stress and mental internal friction for both high and low levels of rumination by conducting simple slope tests, resulting in the graph below.

Table 7

Moderation Effect Decomposition Table for Rumination
	Rumination	Effect Size	Bootstrap S.E.	Bootstrap LLCI	Bootstrap ULCI
Moderated Mediation Effect	eff1(M-1SD)	0.1152	0.0331	0.0558	0.1838
	eff2(M)	0.139	0.0291	0.0841	0.1988
	eff3(M + 1SD)	0.1628	0.03	0.1047	0.2241
Comparison of Moderated Mediation Effects	eff2-eff1	0.0238	0.0123	-0.0017	0.0469
	eff3-eff1	0.0476	0.0246	-0.0034	0.0938
	eff3-eff2	0.0238	0.0123	-0.0017	0.0469

The results demonstrate that, at different levels of the moderating variable, academic stress have a positive promoting effect on mental internal friction (the slopes are all greater than 0). Overall, at each level of academic stress, college students with high academic stress experience higher mental internal friction compared to those with low academic stress. As academic stress increase, the rate of increase in mental internal friction is more rapid for college students with high rumination, indicating that high rumination individuals experience a stronger promoting effect of academic stress on mental internal friction(Fig. 2). Thus, Hypothesis 4 is supported.

5.1 The Relationship between Academic Involution and Mental Internal Friction

This study found a significant positive correlation between academic involution and mental internal friction among college students. While academic involution did not directly predict mental internal friction, it did have an indirect predictive effect. In other words, the higher the level of academic involution experienced by college students, the more severe their mental internal friction. This result is in line with previous research. Ling and Li [8] suggested that academic involution signifies systematic internal friction. Wang and Li [1] argued that in the context of educational burnout, faced with excessive and irrational competition, college students deplete their psychological resources excessively, leading to mental internal friction characterized by constant hesitation and self-criticism. This study's findings also align with the Energy Model of Self-control [2]. According to this model, an individual's self-control resources are limited, and excessive engagement in irrational competitive behaviors inevitably consumes a significant amount of psychological resources, leading to a decrease in an individual's self-control capacity and impacting subsequent tasks [43]. Based on the Energy Model of Self-control, this study sheds new light on the impact of academic involution on college students' mental internal friction, enriching the model's application in the field of mental internal friction research.

5.2 The Mediating Role of Academic Stress

This study demonstrates a significant mediating effect of academic stress, indicating that academic involution indirectly influences mental internal friction through the mediation of academic stress. This means that as college students' academic involution levels rise, their academic stress also increases, leading to more severe mental internal friction. According to the classic Social Comparison Theory (SCT) [13], people tend to compare themselves with outstanding individuals in their surroundings [14, 44]. This comparison often leads to competitive over-engagement behaviors [16], an increasing focus on normative testing, and mounting academic performance stress [12]. Previous studies have confirmed a significant positive correlation between involution and stress [17, 18]. The over-involvement of college students exacerbates comparisons and competition among them, gradually increasing academic stress [19]. Other research also indicates that intense academic competition often results in an excessive emphasis on academic performance and the associated stress, anxiety, and insecurity [20]. It is evident that college students' academic involution behaviors trigger more academic stress [21]. On the other hand, following General Strain Theory, individuals' experiences of stress can lead to psychological distress [45], and mental internal friction represents one form of psychological distress. The Conservation of Resources Theory posits that stress situations accelerate the depletion of an individual's resources [23, 24], resulting in more severe mental internal friction among college students. Past research suggests that excessive academic stress adversely affects college students' academic performance, emotional well-being, and physical health [25, 46]. Researchers have also pointed out [26] that many situations and behaviors, such as stress management, emotion regulation, thought suppression, and impulse control, deplete an individual's self-control resources. Consequently, the greater the academic stress faced by college students, the more severe their mental internal friction becomes. In this way, academic stress play a pivotal "bridging" role in the relationship between academic involution and mental internal friction.

5.3 The Moderating Role of Rumination

This study reveals that rumination plays a moderating role in the relationship between academic stress and mental internal friction. Comparatively, college students with higher levels of rumination exhibit a stronger positive relationship between academic stress and mental internal friction. In other words, rumination intensifies the positive predictive effect of academic stress on mental internal friction. The study also finds that rumination enhances the indirect effect of academic involution on mental internal friction through academic stress. These findings align with previous research [37, 38], indicating that rumination acts as a moderator in the relationship between various psychological indicators and individual states. It sheds light on the different pathways by which individuals with varying levels of rumination perceive the influence of academic stress on their mental internal friction. According to the Risk Amplification Model [30], one risk factor strengthens the impact of another risk factor. Rumination and academic stress as two risk factors cumulatively affect an individual, increasing the likelihood of mental internal friction [31]. Similarly, the Response Style Theory [28] suggests that rumination promotes the prolongation and intensification of internal friction symptoms. There is ample evidence to suggest that frequent rumination increases the risk of experiencing internal friction problems [47] and amplifies the impact of stressful life events on negative emotions [36]. Thus, individuals with higher levels of rumination tend to focus on negative emotions passively and repetitively [48]. This depletes cognitive resources, increases negative emotions, and exacerbates the degree of mental internal friction, thereby enhancing the positive impact of academic stress on mental internal friction. This study, for the first time, places the rumination moderating model in an academic stress context, verifying the reinforcing effect of rumination on academic stress. It also provides some supplementary and validation regarding the factors influencing academic stress in higher education.

6.1 Theoretical Contributions

The moderated mediation model developed in this study not only examines how academic involution predicts college students' mental internal friction but also explores under what circumstances this mediating effect is stronger. This study effectively integrates individual academic stress and rumination, deepening and expanding the research on the relationship between academic involution and individual mental internal friction. First, the research results demonstrate that academic stress and rumination are key factors determining the relationship between academic involution and college students' mental internal friction. Furthermore, the study shows that these factors' effects are not mutually exclusive, aligning with the Strength Model of Self-control, General Strain Theory, Conservation of Resources Theory, Risk Amplification Model, and Response Style Theory. Secondly, through the exploration of the moderated mediation model, this study effectively integrates these theories, indicating that the negative effects of academic stress on academic involution and mental internal friction are exacerbated by individuals' negative personality traits. This result not only enhances the model's explanatory power but also contributes to the development of a more comprehensive theory of the production and development of mental internal friction.

6.2 Practical Implications

The moderated mediation model provides insights into guiding college students to engage in healthy academic competition and mitigate the negative effects of academic involution. The findings suggest that the relationship between academic involution and mental internal friction is a result of the joint influence of academic stress and rumination, with high levels of rumination acting as a catalyst for the induction of mental internal friction due to academic stress. Therefore, it is crucial to identify students' rumination levels and provide targeted interventions for students with higher levels of rumination to reduce mental internal friction. In summary, the results of this study contribute to the development of more effective mechanisms for preventing and reducing mental internal friction in college students in educational practice.

6.3 Limitations and Future Directions

This study has certain limitations that need further refinement in future research. First, this study is cross-sectional and cannot establish causal relationships conclusively. Future research should employ carefully designed experimental or longitudinal studies to provide clearer evidence of causal relationships and mediating mechanisms among the variables. Second, potential biases resulting from social desirability, peer expectations, and other prejudices may lead to data inaccuracies. Future research could consider collecting data from multiple perspectives, such as teachers and peers, to ensure data accuracy and reliability. Moreover, the participants in this study were limited to a few universities, making the sample not representative enough. The generalizability of the study's findings to other samples should be further validated. Finally, mental internal friction can be influenced by various factors, and this study only focused on the mediating role of academic stress between academic involution and mental internal friction. Future research can explore other factors that mediate or moderate the relationship between academic involution and mental internal friction.

(1) The higher the level of academic involution among college students, the higher their mental internal friction.

(2) Academic stress plays a full mediating role between academic involution and mental internal friction. Academic involution influences the mental internal friction of college students through academic stress.

(3) The indirect effect of academic involution on mental internal friction through academic stress is moderated by rumination. Rumination moderates the relationship between academic stress and mental internal friction. High rumination strengthens the positive predictive effect of academic stress on mental internal friction, while low rumination weakens the predictive effect of academic stress on mental internal friction.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study is only a questionnaire survey. All the anonymous private information collected was obtained from the acceptation of questionnaire. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the Institutional Review board of Xiamen University. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Availability of Data and Material (ADM)

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Competing of interest

The author states that they have no competing of interest.

Funding

This study was the research results of the 2022 Annual Project of the Training and Training Center of College Ideological and Political Work Team of the Ministry of Education, PRC (Southwest Jiaotong University, SWJTUKF22-02) , supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (20720231076).

Authors' contributions

LAC designed the study and wrote the manuscript. NJC analyzed the data, WY, CZJ, NJC modified the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants for their involvement in this study.

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No competing interests reported.

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Academic involution and mental internal friction of college students: the mediating role of academic stress and the moderating role of rumination

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Abstract

Figures

1. Introduction

2. Literature Review and Theoretical Hypotheses

2.1 Academic Involution and Mental Internal Friction

2.2 Mediating Role of Academic Stress

2.3 Moderating Role of Rumination

3. Methods

3.1 Data Source and Sample Characteristics

3.2 Research Tools

3.2.1 Individual academic involution Scale

3.2.2 Mental Internal Friction Scale

3.2.3 Academic Stress Scale

3.2.4 Rumination Scale

3.3 Data Analysis

4. Research results

4.1 Correlation Analysis among Major Variables

4.2 Mediation Analysis

4.3 Moderation effect test

5. Discussion

5.1 The Relationship between Academic Involution and Mental Internal Friction

5.2 The Mediating Role of Academic Stress

5.3 The Moderating Role of Rumination

6. Research Contributions

6.1 Theoretical Contributions

6.2 Practical Implications

6.3 Limitations and Future Directions

7. Conclusion

Declarations

References

Additional Declarations

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