Although Generative AI (GenAI) improves task efficiency in the short term, it creates competitive pressures that perpetuate individuals' fear of being eliminated, thereby increasing the risk of problematic use. Existing research has focused on the perspective of individual psychological vulnerability, but has neglected the social comparison context caused by GenAI. This study examines the direct effects of social comparison orientation on problematic GenAI use and explores their indirect effects via emotional and cognitive mechanisms, grounded in the Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model. The research analyzed data from 396 Chinese GenAI users using SEM and bootstrap methods. Findings show that social comparison orientation has a significant direct impact on problematic GenAI use and can additionally influence AI flow and perceived irreplaceability through fear of missing out (FoMO), finally leading to problematic GenAI use.

翻译：尽管生成式人工智能（GenAI）短期内能提升任务效率，但它会催生竞争压力，加剧个体对自身被淘汰的恐惧，从而增加问题性使用的风险。现有研究多聚焦于个体心理脆弱性视角，却忽视了GenAI所引发的社会比较情境。本研究基于人格-情感-认知-执行（I-PACE）模型，考察了社会比较倾向对问题性GenAI使用的直接影响，并探索其通过情感与认知机制产生的间接效应。研究采用结构方程模型（SEM）与Bootstrap方法，对396名中国GenAI用户的数据进行了分析。结果表明，社会比较倾向不仅对问题性GenAI使用具有显著的直接影响，还能通过错失恐惧（FoMO）进一步影响AI心流体验与感知不可替代性，最终导致问题性GenAI使用。