Psychological Withdrawal ("Lying Flat") Among University Students from the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory: Mechanisms and Counselor-Led Intervention Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66581/w17kh960Keywords:
self-determination theory, psychological lying flat, amotivation, basic psychological needs, university counselors, psychological educationAbstract
Against the background of intensified academic competition, uncertain employment prospects, and increasingly diversified standards of success, some university students display a pattern of motivational withdrawal commonly described in Chinese public discourse as “lying flat.” This article conceptualizes psychological lying flat not as simple laziness, moral failure, or a clinical diagnosis, but as a context-sensitive form of defensive disengagement characterized by reduced goal commitment, avoidance of evaluative situations, diminished initiative, and the protection of self-worth through nonparticipation. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), the article proposes that this pattern can be understood as the cumulative result of frustration of the basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Competence frustration may generate perceived uncontrollability and helplessness; autonomy frustration may intensify controlled motivation and self-worth-protective withdrawal; and relatedness frustration may weaken social support, help-seeking, and the internalization of personally meaningful goals. These processes can form a self-reinforcing cycle in which withdrawal reduces opportunities for mastery and connection, thereby deepening need frustration. The article further analyzes three practical barriers faced by university counselors: the mismatch between grand educational narratives and students’ current motivational capacity, defensive resistance to relationship-building, and outcome-dominated evaluation systems that overlook incremental progress. An SDT-informed intervention framework is proposed that combines nonjudgmental relational engagement, graded mastery experiences, process-focused feedback, meaningful choice, clear structure, and professional referral when students present substantial psychological impairment. The framework offers a theoretically grounded and operationally feasible approach for moving university counseling from behavioral correction toward motivational support and developmental empowerment.
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