Table 2.
The specific items of the IPN and IWB scales.
| Individuals’ perceptions of involution | |
|---|---|
| IPN1 | I feel full of energy when I am studying/working. |
| IPN2 | In my study/work, I think I’m doing something I truly love. |
| IPN3 | Studying/working makes me feel down. |
| IPN4 | I feel frustrated during my study/work. |
| IPN5 | In my study/work, I feel nervous or “on the verge of being overwhelmed.” |
| IPN6 | Most people around me will continue to do more work even after they have completed the minimum task requirements. |
| IPN7 | Most people around me have gotten used to exceeding the work/study task requirements. |
| IPN8 | Just meeting the minimum standard of tasks in study and work is not enough; most people will keep striving to do more. |
| IPN9 | Most people around me show their attitude toward work/study by making more and excessive efforts than others. |
| IPN10 | The people around me become outstanding through competition. |
| IPN11 | The people around me can gain a good social status through competition. |
| IPN12 | The people around me have gained the recognition of others through competition. |
| IPN13 | The people around me have received comprehensive training through competition. |
| IPN14 | The people around me will all strive to win every competition. |
| IPN15 | The limited resources in my environment have had an adverse impact on my interpersonal relationships. |
| IPN16 | There are too few resources in my environment, so I cannot get the rewards I deserve. |
| IPN17 | Due to the insufficient available resources in the environment, I cannot handle important matters properly. |
| IPN18 | Compared with the efforts and sacrifices I have made, my life should be better than it is now. |
| Subjective well-being | |
|---|---|
| IWB1 | Bored vs. Interesting |
| IWB2 | Happy vs. Painful |
| IWB3 | Useless vs. Valuable |
| IWB4 | Having Many Friends vs. Lonely |
| IWB5 | Fulfilled vs. Empty |
| IWB6 | Hopeless vs. Hopeful |
| IWB7 | Depressed vs. Rewarded |
| IWB8 | Life Treats Me Very Well vs. Life Does not Give Me Any Opportunities |
| IWB9 | Totally Satisfied with Life in General vs. Totally Dissatisfied with Life in General |
All reverse-scored items have been recoded, with higher IPN scores indicating greater perceived involution and higher IWB scores reflecting greater subjective well-being. IPN, individuals’ perceptions of involution; IWB, subjective well-being.