Career Planning and Innovative Behavior in College Students: Sequential Mediation of Achievement Goals and Psychological Capital

作者：Xiaoli Lu, D. Long, Shuai Wang, Sabariah Md Rashid · 发表于：SAGE Open · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1177/21582440261469814

Innovation capability is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of global competitiveness. Accordingly, fostering innovative talent within the context of higher education has emerged as a pressing priority. This study investigates how career planning affects college students’ innovative behavior, with a particular focus on the mediating effects of achievement goal orientation and psychological capital. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from a sample of 667 undergraduate students. The analysis produced the following key findings: (1) Significant and positive correlations were found among career planning, achievement goal orientation, psychological capital, and innovative behavior. (2) Achievement goal orientation and psychological capital each independently mediate the link between career planning and innovative behavior. (3) Moreover, these two mediators operate in sequence, forming a chained mediation model that links career planning to innovative behavior. These findings enhance current understanding of the mechanisms through which career planning facilitates students’ innovative behavior and elucidates the sequential mediating effects of achievement goal orientation and psychological capital. The results provide valuable theoretical implications for the development of innovation-driven educational strategies in higher education institutions.