Keeping Up or Burning Out? Peer Pressure and Academic Burnout among Third-Year University Students in Changchun, China

Academic burnout is increasingly recognised as a challenge in higher education, yet the contribution of peer-related pressures remains less clearly understood in Chinese university contexts. This study examined the association between peer pressure and academic burnout among third-year undergraduates in Changchun, China. A quantitative cross-sectional correlational design was employed, and data were obtained from 310 students recruited from two universities using adapted self-report measures of peer pressure and academic burnout. Analyses were conducted in IBM SPSS Statistics 32 and included data screening, Harman’s single-factor test, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression. Both measures showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .941 for peer pressure and .901 for academic burnout). Participants reported moderate levels of peer pressure and academic burnout. Peer pressure was positively correlated with academic burnout (r = .369, p < .001). The regression model was significant, F(1, 308) = 48.530, p < .001, with peer pressure accounting for 13.6% of the variance in academic burnout (R² = .136). Peer pressure also emerged as a significant positive statistical predictor of academic burnout (B = .275, SE = .039, β = .369, p < .001). These findings indicate that peer pressure constitutes a meaningful social-academic factor associated with burnout during a stage of university study characterised by increasingly visible academic and career comparisons. The results extend understanding of academic burnout by drawing attention to interpersonal pressures alongside formal academic demands. Universities may therefore benefit from fostering healthier peer climates and integrating academic, psychological, and career support for third-year students. Given the cross-sectional design and convenience sample, the findings should be interpreted as evidence of association rather than causation.

peer pressure, academic burnout, third-year university students, higher education

1. Abraham, A., Chaabna, K., Sheikh, J. I., Mamtani, R., Jithesh, A., Khawaja, S., & Cheema, S. (2024). Burnout increased among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 2569. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52923-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Alias, N., Mustapha, S. M., Zulkifli, S. S., Md Nor, M., Yean, F. Y., Razak, N. A. A., & Karim, R. A. (2025). A new measure for family resilience: Exploratory factor analysis of Malaysian Gen Y family resiliency scale. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(2), 3156–3186. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9020247 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job demands–resources theory: Ten years later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 25–53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Beaton, D. E., Bombardier, C., Guillemin, F., & Ferraz, M. B. (2000). Guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. Spine, 25(24), 3186–3191. https://doi.org/10.1097/00007632-200012150-00014 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands–resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Laursen, B., & Faur, S. (2022). What does it mean to be susceptible to influence? A brief primer on peer conformity and developmental changes that affect it. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 46(3), 222–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254221084103 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Laursen, B., & Veenstra, R. (2021). Toward understanding the functions of peer influence: A summary and synthesis of recent empirical research. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31(4), 889–907. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12606 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Lee, M. (2024). Introjected regulation and academic burnout: A moderated mediation model of social comparison and distress overtolerance. Stress and Health, 40(4), e3381. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3381 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Lorenz, C., & Kray, J. (2022). Explore with me: Peer observation decreases risk-taking but increases exploration tendencies across adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51(9), 1693–1707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01608-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Madigan, D. J., & Curran, T. (2021). Does burnout affect academic achievement? A meta-analysis of over 100,000 students. Educational Psychology Review, 33(2), 387–405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09585-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Olson, N., Oberhoffer-Fritz, R., Reiner, B., & Schulz, T. (2025). Stress, student burnout and study engagement: A cross-sectional comparison of university students of different academic subjects. BMC Psychology, 13, 293. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02602-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Reindl, M. (2021). Peer group embeddedness and academic motivation: A developmental perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 701600. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.701600 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Sakamoto, H., & Nagamine, T. (2025). Development and validation of the information ethics behavior evaluation scale for nurses. International Journal of Medical Education, 16, 156–162. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.68d1.220a [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Salmela-Aro, K., Upadyaya, K., Ronkainen, I., & Hietajärvi, L. (2022). Study burnout and engagement during COVID-19 among university students: The role of demands, resources, and psychological needs. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(6), 2685–2702. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00518-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Santor, D. A., Messervey, D., & Kusumakar, V. (2000). Measuring peer pressure, popularity, and conformity in adolescent boys and girls: Predicting school performance, sexual attitudes, and substance abuse. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 29(2), 163–182. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005152515264 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Schaufeli, W. B., Martínez, I. M., Marques Pinto, A., Salanova, M., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). Burnout and engagement in university students: A cross-national study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33(5), 464–481. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022102033005003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Setia, M. S. (2016). Methodology series module 3: Cross-sectional studies. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 61(3), 261–264. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.182410 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Shao, Y., Kang, S., Lu, Q., Zhang, C., & Li, R. (2024). How peer relationships affect academic achievement among junior high school students: The chain mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement. BMC Psychology, 12, Article 233. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01780-z [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Silva, S., Pocinho, R., Rodriguez Conde, M. J., Topa, G., & Fernández Muñoz, J. J. (2025). Portuguese workers of private institutions of social solidarity and affective job satisfaction: An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 15(10), Article 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15100192 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Sun, M., Piao, M., & Jia, Z. (2024). The impact of alexithymia, anxiety, social pressure, and academic burnout on depression in Chinese university students: An analysis based on SEM. BMC Psychology, 12, 757. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02262-y [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Yang, Q., Hu, Y. Q., Zeng, Z. H., Liu, S. J., Wu, T., & Zhang, G. H. (2022). Mental health conditions and academic burnout among medical and non-medical undergraduates during the mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic in China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 57851–57861. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19922-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Ye, Y., Huang, X., & Liu, Y. (2021). Social support and academic burnout among university students: A moderated mediation model. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 14, 335–344. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S300797 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Zhang, J., Meng, J., & Wen, X. (2025). The relationship between stress and academic burnout in college students: Evidence from longitudinal data on indirect effects. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1517920. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517920 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Comparative Study of Adjustment Level, Parental Income and Academic Achievement of Adolescent Girls
• Increase in STIs among Adolescents in Masvingo District
• A Correlation between SDG 4 (Quality Education) and Emotional Disposition of Teacher Educators in Hyderabad District
• Ear Piercing Behaviour and Self-Esteem among Male University Students in Nigeria
• A Study of Religiosity and Psychological Well-Being