The concept of “involution” has garnered significant attention and discussion among contemporary college students; however, research on the psychological dimension of college students is still in its exploratory and developmental stages. This study attempts to employ text mining and open questionnaires to extract the connotation and conceptual framework of the psychological dimension specific to Chinese college students. In Study 1, a text mining approach was utilized to analyze discussions on Zhihu platform regarding introversion, revealing that college students’ involution encompasses both individual attributes and social aspects. Building upon Study 1, Study 2 designed an open questionnaire which investigated involution among college students. Through analysis of response content combined with grounded theory, this study further refined the psychological dimensions associated with introversion among college students: namely involution state, personal influence, and environmental perception. The category of involution state includes factors such as motivation for involution, excessive self-investment, and negative emotions; personal influence comprises positive influences as well as negative influences; while environmental perception incorporates social pressures along with resource scarcity. In conclusion, this comprehensive and systematic investigation sheds light on the psychological dimension of involution among college students from both individualistic and societal perspectives for the first time ever. Furthermore, it provides a theoretical foundation for subsequent accurate exploration into how involution psychology impacts personal growth and social development.