The mediating role of psychological entitlement in the relationship between relative deprivation and prosocial behavior among college students: a random intercept cross-lagged panel model

Background College is a critical transitional period for students entering society, and prosocial behavior is crucial to their identity construction and mental health. Relative deprivation has become increasingly prevalent among college students due to higher education and intense employment competition. Although prior research has found a significant negative association between relative deprivation and prosocial behavior, their longitudinal relationship and underlying mechanism remain unclear. Therefore, this longitudinal study examined the mediating role of psychological entitlement in the relationship between relative deprivation and prosocial behavior among college students. Methods This study used the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) with three waves of longitudinal data. Participants comprised 1,628 college students aged 16–25 years ( M = 19.69, SD = 1.36). They completed a paper questionnaire that assessed their levels of relative deprivation, psychological entitlement, and prosocial behavior. Results Results revealed that relative deprivation was significantly and positively associated with psychological entitlement at the between-person level. Furthermore, both were significantly and negatively associated with prosocial behavior. At the within-person level, prosocial behavior negatively predicted longitudinal relative deprivation, whereas relative deprivation did not predict longitudinal prosocial behavior. Furthermore, psychological entitlement mediated the longitudinal relationship between relative deprivation and prosocial behavior. Conclusion These findings emphasize the dynamic interaction between relative deprivation, psychological entitlement, and prosocial behavior, and highlight the mediating role of psychological entitlement. They may offer meaningful insights into prosocial behavior, psychological entitlement, and relative deprivation among college students.