Research on the impact of basic psychological needs satisfaction on career adaptability of Chinese college students

INTRODUCTION: With social changes, the realization of smooth and satisfactory employment of college students is an issue that requires deep thought. Basic psychological needs satisfaction play an important role as a guiding factor that affects students’ career adaptability. This study aims to explore the relationship and mechanism between the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs satisfaction and their career adaptability. METHODS: A survey is conducted among students from six different universities across the country, using the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale, the Career Adaptability Scale, the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Career Outcome Expectations Scale. RESULTS: The satisfaction of basic psychological needs, career decision self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations are all significantly positively correlated with career adaptability.Career decision self-efficacy plays a partial mediating role between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career adaptability among college students. The moderated mediation model found that career outcome expectations play a regulatory role in the effect of career decision self-efficacy on career adaptability. DISCUSSION: College students’ basic psychological need satisfaction can positively predict career adaptability directly and indirectly affect career adaptability through career decision self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations have a moderating role between career decision self-efficacy and career adaptability.