The mental internal friction scale (MIFS): development and psychometric validation of a culturally informed tripartite measure for Chinese university students.

INTRODUCTION

In the context of intense academic and employment competition, Chinese university students frequently experience a culturally specific psychological state termed "mental internal friction," characterized by overthinking, emotional exhaustion, and behavioral paralysis. However, existing psychological tools lack the cultural sensitivity to capture this nuanced phenomenon.

METHODS

This study developed the Mental Internal Friction Scale (MIFS) and systematically evaluated its psychometric properties. An initial item pool was generated via literature review, semi-structured interviews, and expert evaluation. Using convenience sampling approach, 1214 Chinese university students were recruited and randomly split into two equal subsamples for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

RESULTS

EFA extracted a robust tripartite structure: Cognitive Rumination (7 items), Emotional Exhaustion (6 items), and Behavioral Inhibition (5 items), explaining 76.24% of the total variance. CFA confirmed a second-order hierarchical structure (CFI = 0.949, TLI = 0.941, RMSEA = 0.071), with a general "mental internal friction" factor loading onto three distinguishable subdimensions. The MIFS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.952), split-half reliability (0.919), and 4-week test-retest reliability (0.749). Convergent and criterion validities were supported by significant positive correlations with depression, anxiety, and rumination (r = 0.42 to 0.61, p < 0.01), alongside adequate average variance extracted (AVE > 0.50) and composite reliability (CR > 0.70). Furthermore, measurement invariance across gender, grade level, and family location was generally supported (ΔCFI ≤ 0.01, ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015) in this sample.

DISCUSSION: The MIFS appears to be a reliable, valid, and culturally informed instrument that encapsulates the hierarchical cognitive-affective-behavioral mechanisms of mental friction, providing a useful empirical tool for targeted mental health screenings and interventions in Chinese higher education. Given that this is the first validation study, further research is needed to test its generalizability across diverse populations and educational contexts.