How does proactive personality promote affective well-being? A chained mediation model

Based on social cognitive career theory, this research examined a chained mediation model for the relations between proactive personality, career success criteria clarity, career decision-making self-efficacy and affective well-being. A two-wave survey study was conducted among Chinese graduating students (N = 235). The results showed that proactive personality (measured at time 1), career success criteria clarity (measured at time 1), and career decision-making self-efficacy (measured at time 2) positively related to affective well-being respectively. In addition, the results further revealed that proactive personality was positively related to career success criteria clarity, which further predicted affective well-being through the full mediation of career decision-making self-efficacy. The findings carry theoretical implications for research on affective wellbeing and advance our understanding of social cognitive career theory. Practical implications for both career educators and consultants are discussed.