The impact of social exclusion on malevolent creativity among Chinese university students: the roles of empathy, moral disengagement, and teacher support

Social exclusion, as a prevalent and profoundly detrimental situational factor, not only impairs the cognitive functions of individuals but also increases the likelihood of aggressive behaviors or malevolent creativity by eliciting negative emotions (e.g., anger, anxiety) and cognitive biases (e.g., hostile attribution). University students, who are situated in a unique social environment and a pivotal stage of personal development, exhibit distinct psychological and behavioral patterns. This highlights the critical need to explore the mechanisms underlying the relationship between social exclusion and malevolent creativity among Chinese university students. Based on 457 valid questionnaires, including 218 males and 239 females, this study utilized Mplus 8.0 for data analysis. The findings revealed that: (1) social exclusion is positively associated with malevolent creativity among university students; (2) empathy mediates the relationship between social exclusion and malevolent creativity; (3) moral disengagement also mediates this relationship; (4) empathy and moral disengagement function as sequential mediators in the link between social exclusion and malevolent creativity; and (5) teacher support moderates the relationship between social exclusion and malevolent creativity. This research not only enriches the theoretical framework of existing studies but also provides novel insights and evidence for the prevention and intervention of malevolent creativity.