Involution and Pluralistic Ignorance Amongst Chinese Adolescents

Abstract

What happens when people do not feel comfortable with competition but think others feel comfortable with the competition? How does such misaligned perception relate to peoples motivation to achieve their goals and mental health? Drawing on the psychological science of pluralistic ignorance and an emerging social phenomenon of involution, I examine the relationship between perceptions of competition and the gap between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and levels of depression among Chinese adolescents. Using online survey platform, student participants (N = 313) consistently reported that when they did not enjoy competition but thought their classmates enjoyed competition, they were more likely to show higher extrinsic motivation but lower intrinsic motivation when completing educational tasks. Moreover, students who misperceived others to enjoy competition more than themselves tended to report more severe levels of depression. I discuss theoretical contributions to the pluralistic ignorance literature and practical implications for educational well-being.