The debate over whether involution causes anxiety has persisted because no studies have attempted to quantify introversion and study its relationship to anxiety. This study quantified involution and explored its relationship with anxiety, provided evidence about whether involution was related to anxiety, and created a foundation for other scholars to carry out research on involution. Interviews and questionnaires were conducted to investigate the characteristics of 535 Chinese college students’ involution behavior and its relationship with anxiety. We found that involution was not necessarily positively related to anxiety. The specific results were as follows: (1) The involution behavior of the Chinese college students could be divided into three types: the passive involution, reward-oriented involution, and achievement-motivated involution; (2) Significant differences in the involvement of involution existed at the college level; (3) Three motivations that resulted in involution, from primary to secondary, were achievement-motivation, reward-orientation, and passive engagement; and (4) Passive involution, reward-oriented involution, and the total scores for the involution behavior of the college students were significantly and positively correlated with anxiety. Among the three types of involution behavior, the college students’ passive involution had a significant and positive predictive effect on their anxiety, while achievement-motivated involution had a significant and negative predictive effect.

Purpose: This study integrates traditional Chinese culture, precisely the philosophy of Zhongyong (中庸) thinking, with the prevention and treatment of depression. Samples and Methods: It involved a study with 700 undergraduate students from a college in Guangzhou, using the Negative Zhongyong Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory for assessments. Results: The findings demonstrated that negative Zhongyong thinking predicts depression inversely. Additionally, conscientiousness indirectly and positively influences this relationship through active involution, thereby enhancing its overall effect. The analysis used the 2-mediated moderation (2meMO) model, which effectively handles error heterogeneous variances and provides a detailed assessment of the interactions between these variables. The specific findings are as follows: (1) There are correlations among negative Zhongyong thinking, depression, conscientiousness, and active involution; (2) Conscientiousness can directly and positively regulate the association between negative Zhongyong thinking and depression, and it can also indirectly regulate this relationship through active involution; (3) The higher the conscientiousness, the more actively individuals engage in active involution, thereby strengthening the negative predictive effect of negative Zhongyong thinking on depression. Conclusion: These research findings contribute to the enrichment of theoretical research on the prevention and treatment of depressive symptoms and offer a fresh perspective on the utilization of traditional Chinese culture in depression prevention and treatment.