Goal orientation is a key motivational factor in individuals’ career development, yet its links with emotional and personality-related career decision-making difficulties (EPCD) have received limited attention. According to the Career Construction Model of Adaptation (CCMA), this study examined how goal orientation relates to EPCD and whether four dimensions of career adaptability (CA)—career concern, career curiosity, career control, and career confidence—mediate these relationships. In total, 450 Chinese university students completed an online questionnaire measuring learning goal orientation (LGO), performance-approach (PAPG) and performance-avoidance goal orientations (PAVG), CA, and EPCD. The results showed that PAPG and PAVG were positively associated with EPCD, whereas LGO was not directly associated with EPCD. Mediation analyses indicated that concern, curiosity, and confidence mediated the relationships between LGO, PAPG, and EPCD; confidence mediated the relationship between PAVG and EPCD. The findings extend the application of CCMA and offer implications for career counseling and intervention for university students.
Wang et al. (2026) studied this question.