Self leadership and Positive Coping Styles of College Students: The Chain Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Career Adaptability

Abstract

Based on the adaptation model of career construction, this study explores how college students’ self leadership affects positive coping styles. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 471 college students using the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire, Chinese version of the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Short Form, and Positive Coping Style Scale. The results showed that: 1) Self leadership of college students positively predicted their emotional intelligence, career adaptability, and positive coping styles; 2) The emotional intelligence and career adaptability of college students play a mediating role in the connection between self leadership and positive coping styles; 3) Sequence mediation analysis shows that college students with high self-leadership tend to report higher levels of emotional intelligence, thereby improving career adaptability and promoting positive coping styles. This study has significant implications for developing early intervention strategies for college students to help them cope with career challenges and develop positive coping strategies.