Impact of growth mindset on college students’ career decision-making self-efficacy: the chain-mediating roles of perceived social support and meaning in life
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background In the post-pandemic era, the number of college graduates has continued to reach new highs, while employment rates have fallen to a ten-year low. Career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) has been shown to significantly predict job search persistence and employment quality; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Growth mindset is considered an intervenable psychological resource, and its role in areas such as health and academics has been demonstrated. However, empirical research explaining how it is transformed into career confidence through the chain pathway of “perceived social support → meaning in life” is lacking. Clarifying this progressive mechanism could provide evidence-based strategies for university career guidance. Objective The study aimed to examine the chain-mediated effects of perceived social support and meaning in life on the relationship between growth mindset and career decision-making self-efficacy among college students. Method A survey was conducted among 556 students from Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine using the Growth Mindset Scale (GMS), the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form (CDSE-SF), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Chinese version of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (C-MLQ). Results Correlation analysis showed significant positive correlations between growth mindset, career decision-making self-efficacy, perceived social support, and meaning in life (r = 0.359–0.538, p < 0.001). Growth mindset had a significant direct effect on career decision-making self-efficacy ( β = 1.761). Growth mindset also positively predicted perceived social support ( β = 1.278) and meaning in life ( β = 0.978). Perceived social support positively predicted meaning in life ( β = 0.017) and career decision-making self-efficacy ( β = 0.433). Moreover, meaning in life positively predicted career decision-making self-efficacy ( β = 0.304). Bootstrap analysis confirmed that the chain-mediated effect of perceived social support and meaning in life on the relationship between growth mindset and career decision-making self-efficacy was significant, accounting for 34.24% of the total effect. The effect values of the three mediation pathways accounted for 20.65, 2.46, and 11.13% of the total effect. Conclusion Growth mindset can directly enhance college students’ career decision-making self-efficacy and can also indirectly influence it through perceived social support and meaning in life.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Authors: Song Liu, Zhilin Ping, Chongyuan Fan, Yanzhi Mo, Yixuan Wang
Language: English
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7127343365