Influence of academic involution atmosphere on college students’ stress response: the chain mediating effect of relative deprivation and academic involution

Abstract Background In recent years, the phenomenon of academic involution atmosphere among college students has gradually attracted the focus of education and social circles. Thus, this study targets college students as the research object and constructs a hypothetical model to explore the relationship between academic involution atmosphere and college students’ stress response, as well as the mediating role of relative deprivation and academic involution. Methods A survey was conducted on 1090 college students using the Academic Involution Atmosphere Scale, Relative Deprivation Scale, Personal Academic Involution Scale, and Stress Response Scale. Results The results show that: (1) Academic involution atmosphere, relative deprivation, and academic involution are significantly and positively correlated with stress response; (2) Academic involution atmosphere not only directly predicts college students’ stress response, but also indirectly predicts them through relative deprivation and academic involution, respectively; (3) Relative deprivation and academic involution have a chain mediating effect between academic involution atmosphere and stress response. Conclusions The findings of this study reveal the influence of academic involution atmosphere on college students’ stress response and the mechanism, providing beneficial insights for reducing college students’ stress response and maintaining their psychological well-being.