The impact of social comparison orientation on malicious envy among high school students: The chain mediating role of avoidance goal orientation and negative rumination

The high school stage is a critical period for students to develop their perspectives on life and to form healthy relationships with others. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social comparison orientation and malicious envy among high school students, as well as the mediating effects of avoidance goal orientation and negative rumination. A survey was conducted with 643 high school students, employing the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure, the Avoidance Goal Orientation Scale, the Negative Rumination Scale, and the Malicious Envy Scale. The findings indicated that: (1) there is a significant positive association between social comparison orientation, avoidance goal orientation, negative rumination, and malicious envy; (2) social comparison orientation does not directly and significantly predict malicious envy among high school students when avoidance goal orientation and negative rumination are considered as mediating factors; (3) social comparison orientation indirectly affects the negative rumination of high school students through the independent and chain mediating effects of avoidance goal orientation and negative rumination. This research sheds light on the underlying mechanisms by which social comparison orientation influences malicious envy.