Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Its Impact on College Students' Career Adaptability: The Mediating Role of Self-efficacy

Childhood socioeconomic status is crucial in shaping individual development, with a deep and complex impact. This study draws on the theory of generalized self-efficacy to investigate how childhood socioeconomic status affects career adaptability. By introducing an intermediary model, the research carefully examines the mediating role of generalized self-efficacy. Drawing upon a comprehensive survey encompassing 4676 Chinese college students, the findings reveal three key observations： (1) Childhood socioeconomic status significantly and positively influences the rationality of career adaptability among college students. (2) Self-efficacy mediates the effect of childhood socioeconomic status on career adaptability. This study aims to provide valuable insights into how socioeconomic status influences the psychological growth of college students and offer practical guidance on nurturing resilience and adaptability during university life.