PSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICAMENTS AND INTERVENTION PATHWAYS AMONG CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS UNDER DUAL FILIAL PIETY TENSIONS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY GROUNDED IN SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Background:Many Chinese college students experience significant difficulties with meaning in life and self-regulation, leading to states often described as “Emptiness Syndrome “(Kongxinbing, 空心病). The prevalence and characteristics of this phenomenon necessitate exploration of its deep-rooted cultural and psychological mechanisms. This study constructs an integrative framework combining Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the Dual Filial Piety Model (DFPM), and the concept of self-acceptance to analyze the chained mechanism linking cultural motivational conflict, thwarted psychological needs, and impaired self-regulation. The aim is to develop culturally sensitive intervention modules.

Methods:Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 first-year college students who identified as having low levels of meaning in life based scores of (MLQ-C, M = 2.51) and poor self-regulation ability (TC-SRQ, M = 2.44). Thematic analysis using NVivo 12 was employed to identify underlying mechanisms and psychological needs.

Results:1.Filial piety conflicts emerged as the core cultural origin

100%(10/10) displayded reciprocal filial piety tendencies,80% (8/10) exhibited coexisting authoritarian filial piety (obedience-focused), and 60% (6/10) manifested a "gratitude-guilt-compromise" dynamic, triggering introjected regulation.
2.Intergenerational interactions undermined basic psychological needs:

Conflicting expectations and communication barriers systematically thwarted autonomy (7/10), relatedness (8/10), and competence (8/10).
3.Low self-acceptance was identified as a key mediating factor

Low self-acceptance (10/10) and other-evaluation dependency (8/10) exacerbated regulatory fragility.Transitional signs of ‘transformative self-acceptance’ emerged in 4 participants, informing intervention pathways..

Conclusion:The core mechanism underlying low sense of life meaning and poor self-regulation is a three-level structural dysregulation:

Cultural level: Conflicts within dual filial piety result in externalized motivation;

Familial level: Intergenerational control patterns suppress fulfillment of basic psychological needs;

Individual level: Low self-acceptance impedes internalization of meaning and resilience in self-regulation.
Interventions should follow an integration pathway of motivation–values–regulation:
(1) Transform filial piety tension (replacing obligation locks with emotional resonance);
(2) Repair need satisfaction (autonomy-supportive intergenerational communication);
(3) Cultivate transformational self-acceptance deconstructing other-evaluation dependency, anchoring intrinsic values);
(4)  Synergistically enhance meaning in life and self-regulation ability.

Collectively, these steps achieve culturally-adaptive advancement.