The rising popularity of higher education has consequently incentivized undergraduates to pursue advanced degrees. From the perspective of Homo economicus, which considers the decisions of undergraduates to be rational and calculative to maximize personal utility, research indicate that students pursue advanced degrees to mitigate the growing uncertainty associated with employment amidst the expansion of higher education (Wright & Horta, 2018). On the contrary, however, the labor market indicates that students have a hazy perception of the degree's direct, immediate, or transferable value concerning employment (Tomlinson, 2008). Therefore, aside from economically modeling the decision of students to pursue degrees, it is critical to investigate students' subjective perspectives on the matter.

The proliferation of bachelor’s degrees has made it more difficult for Chinese students to meet the quota for admission to master's programs. In line with trends observed in other educational systems, Chinese students associate the pursuit of graduate degrees with not only the anticipation of favorable labor market prospects, but also with positive self- and social assessments (e.g., parental approbation). The multifaceted motivates that drive Chinese students to pursue advanced degrees manifest in a variety of feelings and conduct throughout their undergraduate studies. Particularly for those undergraduates already attending elite universities who exert effort to remain competitive with the elites, the pursuit of a master’s degree becomes a more or less obligatory choice, which induces anxiety, perplexity and involution (Zhu, 2021).

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between the motives of undergraduates and their learning attitudes. Specifically, this study aims to: (1) identify the types of motives that drive Chinese undergraduates to pursue a graduate degree through the use of a person-centered approach; (2) detect how members of different motive types vary in terms of involution involvement, peace of mind, and academic burnout; and (3) compare the findings of this study with those of other countries regarding motives for academic pursuits and analyze the impact of different cultures on motivation.

The underlying theoretical framework employed in this study is Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Motives are conceptualized as a multidimensional construct within SDT, in which various motive types are categorized along a continuum according to the extent to which they are internalized, namely,  internal motives, identified motives, introjected motives, and external motives (Deci and Ryan, 2000). Both introjected and external motives are considered controlled motives since they both motivate behavior through the imposition of demands or pressures. Additionally, identified and internal motives are regarded as autonomous motivations. In theory, being motivated by control would end in undesirable consequences, whereas being motivated by autonomy is expected to produce favorable outcomes. Senko et al. (2023) have recently broadened the classification of SDT to encompass nine distinct motives, namely: enjoyment, personal development, other’s development, personal pride, personal shame, others’ pride, others’ shame, social reward, and social punishment. A model of the nine motives can more accurately characterize the motives of undergraduates who are pursuing a graduate degree.

The present study employed quantitative methods. It involved the participation of 410 undergraduate students enrolled at N University in mainland China during the spring semester of 2023. N University is a participant in China’s “Double-First-Class” (i.e., first-class universities and disciplines of the world) university program, which aims to enhance the international competitiveness and reputation of Chinese higher education by establishing exemplary universities. Thus, the sample represents, to a significant degree, the elite undergraduate cohort in China. Four already-established scales were modified in our study to assess the following: students’ motives to pursue a graduate degree (Senko et al, 2023), peace of mind (Lee et al,2013), academic burnout (Väisänen et al, 2018; Heikkilä et al, 2012), and involution involvement (Yi et al., 2022). Each instrument underwent validity and reliability testing. The statistical analyses were conducted using Mplus 8 and SPSS 26. The analysis procedure delineated adheres to the protocols specified by Muthén and Asparouhov (2014) and consists of three parts. First, motive types for pursuing graduate degrees were identified using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA). The statistical analyses were conducted using Mplus 8 and SPSS 26. The analysis procedure delineated adheres to the protocols specified by Muthén and Asparouhov (2014) and consists of three parts. First, motive types for pursuing graduate degrees were identified using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) profiles. Second, the most likely membership was determined by the estimated probability that an individual has of being a member of each profile. Third, concerning profile memberships, the study outcomes were estimated, taking into account the classification error rate and the most likely membership. To detect differences in the means of outcomes across motive types, the present study employed the BCH method, which is favored for dealing with continuous outcomes (Asparouhov & Muthén, 2014), for examining the heterogeneity of various types involution involvement, academic fatigue, and peace of mind.

First, according to the estimated probability that each individual belongs to each profile, the model fits the data most accurately when there are four profiles. We classified the profiles into the following categories based on their characteristics: High motive (22.0%), Mid-high motive (42.0%), Mid-low motive (29.5%), and Low motive (6.6%). Every one of the four motive types was most concerned with their personal development. This finding aligns with the research conducted by Jung and Li (2019) in Hong Kong. Thus, students who pursue a master's degree do so with the intention of personal growth through the enjoyment of the learning process, and many also anticipate that earning the degree will provide them with a competitive edge in the job market. Nevertheless, students were also found to have high levels of controlled motive (particularly introjected motive) in both the High motive and Mid-high motive categories. This response corresponds to research indicating that academic achievement in Asian Confucian cultures is significantly more influenced by social forces, including familial forces, than in the majority of other cultural groups (Woo et al., 2004). Second, this research offers empirical evidence to substantiate insights regarding the imaginings of elite university students regarding graduate degrees. Students’ current undergraduate learning styles have been shaped by their academic pursuit and imagination: When students possess excessive motivation, particularly when that motivation is controlled, they demonstrate less conducive learning mindsets and actions. This is evident in their diminished peace of mind, increased academic burnout, and increased involvement in involution. It echoes the metaphor of “excellent sheep” by Deresiewicz, which describes the oppressive desire for success and accomplishment. When students' overall motivation is lacking, it is indicative of their “foxi” state; however, this state is prone to manifest as a passive and unproductive decision-making process under pressure.

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