# The influence of self-efficacy on career maturity in college students: mediating the moderation of creativity tendency and achievement motivation

**Authors:** Yuying Tong, Ming Zhong, Jiarun Yang, Xiaoxuan Liu, Daiwa Yang, Xueying Zhao, Yixuan Hou

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1585195 · 2025-11-05

## TL;DR

This study finds that self-efficacy boosts career maturity in college students, with creativity and achievement motivation playing key mediating and moderating roles.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel mediation-moderation model linking self-efficacy, creativity tendency, and career maturity through achievement motivation.

## Key findings

- Self-efficacy positively predicts career maturity in college students.
- Creativity tendency partially mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and career maturity.
- Achievement motivation moderates the mediating pathway from self-efficacy to career maturity via creativity tendency.

## Abstract

This study explores the relationship between self-efficacy and career maturity among college students, while investigating the mediating role of creativity tendency and achievement motivation.

A survey was conducted on 950 college students using the Self-Efficacy Scale, Career Maturity Scale, Creativity Tendency and Achievement Motivation Scale.

Self-efficacy significantly and positively predicts career maturity. Creativity tendency has a mediating effect between self-efficacy and career maturity among undergraduate students. The interaction between self-efficacy and achievement motivation significantly predicts creativity tendency, while the interaction between creativity tendency and achievement motivation significantly predicts career maturity.

Creativity tendency partially mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and career maturity. Achievement motivation moderates both the initial and later stages of the mediating pathway as “self-efficacy → creativity propensity → career maturity.”

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** CSE [NCBI Gene 1433]
- **Diseases:** XL (MESH:D000080345), CAP (OMIM:115650), fatigue (MESH:D005221)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12626981/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12626981