Introduction This study investigates the complex underlying factors contributing to academic failure among students at elite Chinese universities. Grounded in cognitive-behavioral theory, we developed a three-dimensional framework encompassing 26 influencing factors across cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains. Methods Utilizing the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation methods ( N = 722 ), we identified distinct cognitive maps for three academic performance groups: high-achieving, academic fluctuating, and academic struggling. Results Findings reveal that academic failure is characterized by a “cognitive detachment” rather than mere knowledge deficiency or emotional indifference. Specifically, (1) high-achievers demonstrate a “productive tension,” where negative psychological attributes like self-doubt and learning anxiety function as significant positive drivers within the Confucian-heritage cultural context; (2) Fluctuating students exhibit high environmental sensitivity, where academic stability is contingent upon perceived support from family and peer networks; (3) Struggling students acknowledge their academic deficiencies but appear cognitively detached from the emotional impact of failure, aligning with a “lying flat” mentality fostered by current institutional evaluation models. Discussion Theoretically, this research moves beyond linear “cause-effect” narratives to uncover how specific cognitive-emotional configurations shape academic trajectories. Practically, it highlights a need for differentiated university interventions that move beyond standardized counseling toward rebuilding “agency-performance” links, while inviting a reflective reconsideration of the core purpose of university examination systems.
Mei et al. (Tue,) studied this question.