Perceived involution reduces prosocial behavior: A moderated mediation model

Involution refers to an endless, self-defeating, or pointless competition with others for power, money or other worldly reward. Complaints of involution perception-induced psychological distress have grown in prevalence. The present research aimed to examine whether perceived involution negatively predicts prosocial behavior and to investigate the mediating role of relative deprivation, as well as to explore self-compassion as a potential boundary condition. Two experimental studies were conducted across different contexts (academic vs. workplace settings). In Study 1 (N = 144) and Study 2 (N = 142), perceived involution was manipulated by presenting participants with academic-related and workplace-related involution scenarios, respectively. The results of both studies consistently demonstrated that perceived involution was negatively associated with prosocial behavioral intentions. Moreover, relative deprivation partially mediated this relationship, indicating that perceived involution reduced prosocial behavior by increasing individuals' feelings of relative deprivation. In addition, self-compassion moderated the negative effect of perceived involution on prosocial behavior. Specifically, higher levels of self-compassion buffered the detrimental impact of perceived involution on individuals' willingness to engage in prosocial behavior. By extending prior research on involution, which has primarily focused on individual stress and well-being, this study broadens the scope of involution research to the interpersonal domain of prosocial behavior. The findings provide theoretical insights and empirical evidence for alleviating the negative social consequences of involution-oriented environments, enrich the existing literature on involution, and offer practical implications for mitigating the adverse effects of perceived involution.