Growth mindset and satisfaction with life among Chinese college students: Gender moderation and self-efficacy and meaning in life mediation

Jingxuan Lou¹, Yaping Pan^2,*
1 Student Affairs Office, Anhui Business College, Wuhu, China
2 Institute of Curriculum and Instruction, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
* Corresponding Author: Yaping Pan. Email: email

Journal of Psychology in Africa https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2026.076331

Received 18 November 2025; Accepted 28 February 2026; Published online 03 April 2026

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Abstract

The present study examined the mediating roles of self-efficacy and meaning in life in the relationship between growth mindset and satisfaction with life among college students, as well as the moderating role of gender. Participants were 1791 Chinese college students (female = 52.31%, mean age = 19.31 years, SD = 1.14 years). They completed the Growth Mindset Scale (GMS), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Correlation analyses results showed that a growth mindset was significantly and positively related to satisfaction with life among Chinese college students. Structural equation modeling results revealed that self-efficacy, searching for meaning, and presence of meaning played a chain mediating role in the relationship between growth mindset and satisfaction with life. Gender moderated the relationship between growth mindset and satisfaction with life, with the association being stronger among male students. These findings extend Social Cognitive Theory by incorporating a growth mindset as a key personal factor within the triadic reciprocal determinism framework and by revealing gender-differentiated pathways to satisfaction with life. The results suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing college students’ satisfaction with life should foster a growth mindset while considering gender differences. Overall, this study provides preliminary empirical evidence to promote the well-being and mental health of college students.