Stage-specific perceived stress (SSPS) in architectural design education: a Korean–Chinese cross-cultural study

Growing concerns about student wellbeing in architectural design education have underscored the need to understand how cultural and pedagogical factors shape psychological stress during studio work. This study investigates stage-specific perceived stress (SSPS) across a ten-stage design process within a standardized Korea – China joint architecture program. Survey data were collected during the 2024–2025 academic year using an identical instrument: Fall 2024 in Korea (n = 180) and Summer 2025 in China (n = 212) validated SSPS survey. Quantitative analyses – including t-tests, ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, and multiple regression – revealed distinct stress patterns: Korean students reported elevated stress during concept development and schematic design, with a second peak at final presentation, whereas Chinese students peaked at the final review. A nationality-by-year interaction showed heightened precedent-work stress among Chinese second-year students – dissipating by the fourth year – while senior-year differences at the final review persisted. Interpreted through a tripartite framework of process segmentation, cultural mediation, and educational control – and informed by Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Nisbett’s cognitive styles, and Self-Determination Theory – these findings position SSPS as a function of instructional ecology rather than static cultural traits. Practical recommendations include stage-targeted interventions such as divergence – convergence cycles, rubric-guided milestones, emotion-regulation routines, and mixed-nationality juries to foster culturally adaptive, resilient studio environments.