The Relationship Between Chinese College Students’ Upward Social Comparison and Involution: Fear of Negative Evaluation as a Mediator and Self-Construal as a Moderator

With the rapid economic development and social transformation in China, involution has drawn increasing attention across various disciplines. To test the generalizability of previous findings, the present research examined the relationship between upward social comparison and involution, the mediating role of fear of negative evaluation and the moderating role of self-construal in this link. Two studies were conducted. In study 1, 1549 Chinese college students completed four scales comprising Involution, Upward Social Comparison, and Fear of Negative Evaluation. Results indicated that upward social comparison was positively correlated with involution and fear of negative evaluation significantly mediated this relationship. In study 2, 392 college students participated in a priming experiment of self-construal and completed a battery of scales same as Study 1. A significant moderation of self-construal was observed between upward social comparison and fear of negative evaluation. Specifically, for individuals with the independent self-construal, upward social comparison had a weaker impact on fear of negative evaluation. For individuals with the interdependent self-construal, upward social comparison had a stronger impact on fear of negative evaluation. These findings highlight the complex interplay among upward social comparison, fear of negative evaluation, and self-construal in shaping involution among Chinese college students.