Can the mind perception of perceived artificial intelligence-generated content alleviate involution anxiety? A longitudinal study with social support as a mediator

Involution anxiety, characterized by heightened stress and competition in educational and professional settings, is a significant psychological trait in contemporary society. However, under the backdrop of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC), this issue has not been extensively discussed. Building on mind perception theory and social support theory, this research collected 1126 valid surveys and conducted a longitudinal study over two waves within two interaction scenarios - virtual companionship and knowledge acquisition. This study investigates whether the mind perception of perceived AIGC can alleviate involution anxiety, with social support as a mediating variable. Results from cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that in the virtual companionship scenario, mind perception significantly reduced involution anxiety over time (β from -0.205 to -0.221, p < 0.001) and positively predicted perceived social support (β from 0.297 to 0.323, p < 0.001), which also negatively predicted involution anxiety (β from -0.346 to -0.390, p < 0.001). In contrast, in the knowledge acquisition scenario, mind perception unexpectedly increased involution anxiety (β from 0.190 to 0.218, p < 0.05), and its association with social support was non-significant. However, social support still showed a negative association with involution anxiety (β from -0.243 to -0.276, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that AIGC's impact on involution anxiety is complex and scenario-dependent, emphasizing the importance of context in the integration of AI technologies into human social dynamics.