ESP-4192

Published

2026-01-14

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Publishing

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Chunlei Xu*, Maria Theresa Cardano

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The journal adopts the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute the materials for non-commercial purposes as long as you follow the license terms and the original source is properly cited.

Author(s) shall retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal/Publisher rights for the first publication with the work concurrently licensed since 2023 Vol.8 No.2.

Under this license, author(s) will allow third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content under the condition that the authors are given credit. No permission is required from the authors or the publisher.

This broad license intends to facilitate free access, as well as the unrestricted use of original works of all types. This ensures that the published work is freely and openly available in perpetuity.

By providing open access, the following benefits are brought about:

  • Higher Visibility, Availability and Citations-free and unlimited accessibility of the publication over the internet without any restrictions increases citation of the article.
  • Ease of search-publications are easily searchable in search engines and indexing databases.
  • Rapid Publication – accepted papers are immediately published online.
  • Available for free download immediately after publication at https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP

 

Copyright Statement

1.The authors certify that the submitted manuscripts are original works, do not infringe the rights of others, are free from academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, and that there are no disputes over the authorship scheme of the collaborative articles. In case of infringement, academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, as well as disputes over the authorship scheme, all responsibilities will be borne by the authors.

2. The author agrees to grant the Editorial Office of Environment and Social Psychology a licence to use the reproduction right, distribution right, information network dissemination right, performance right, translation right, and compilation right of the submitted manuscript, including the work as a whole, as well as the diagrams, tables, abstracts, and any other parts that can be extracted from the work and used in accordance with the characteristics of the journal. The Editorial Board of Environment and Social Psychology has the right to use and sub-licence the above mentioned works for wide dissemination in print, electronic and online versions, and, in accordance with the characteristics of the periodical, for the period of legal protection of the property right of the copyright in the work, and for the territorial scope of the work throughout the world.

3. The authors are entitled to the copyright of their works under the relevant laws of Singapore, provided that they do not exercise their rights in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Journal.

About Licence

Environment and Social Psychology is an open access journal and all published work is available under the Creative Commons Licence, Authors shall retain copyright of their work and grant the journal/publisher the right of first publication, and their work shall be licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, the author grants permission to third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content with attribution to the author. No permission from the author or publisher is required.

This broad licence is intended to facilitate free access to and unrestricted use of original works of all kinds. This ensures that published works remain free and accessible in perpetuity. Submitted manuscripts, once accepted, are immediately available to the public and permanently accessible free of charge on the journal’s official website (https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP). Allowing users to read, download, copy, print, search for or link to the full text of the article, or use it for other legal purposes. However, the use of the work must retain the author's signature, be limited to non-commercial purposes, and not be interpretative.

Click to download <Agreement on the Licence for the Use of Copyright on Environmental and Social Psychology>.

How to Cite

Chunlei Xu, & Maria Theresa Cardano. (2026). Mechanism of career choice among high school students under the interaction of cultural environment and social cognition: A Social psychological perspective. Environment and Social Psychology, 11(1), ESP-4192. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i1.4192

Mechanism of career choice among high school students under the interaction of cultural environment and social cognition: A Social psychological perspective

Chunlei Xu

College of Arts, Sciences, and Education. Trinity University of Asia, Quezon City, Philippines, 1102

Maria Theresa Cardano

College of Arts, Sciences, and Education. Trinity University of Asia, Quezon City, Philippines, 1102


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i1.4192


Keywords: cultural environment; social cognition; career choice; interaction; high school students; social psychology

Abstract

Based on a social psychological perspective, this study employed a mixed-methods approach to explore the mechanisms underlying high school students' career choice under the interaction of cultural environment and social cognition. Through quantitative surveys of 1,200 high school students and in-depth interviews with 36 students, data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, multilevel linear modeling, and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that: (1) Cultural environment exerted significant direct effects on career choice, with family, school, and societal cultural environments collectively explaining 28.5%-41.3% of the variance in career choice behaviors; (2) Social cognitive variables played important mediating roles, with the total mediating effects of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and career values accounting for 39.2%-45.8% of the total effects; (3) Cultural adaptability, cognitive flexibility, and social support demonstrated moderating, facilitating, and buffering-amplifying effects respectively in the cultural environment-cognitive process relationship; (4) The high adaptability group showed stronger cultural environmental influence effects (β=0.234), individuals with high cognitive flexibility exhibited better environmental adaptation capabilities (r=0.612), and social support demonstrated buffering effects under stressful situations (β=-0.245) while showing amplifying effects in positive environments (β=0.318). This study constructed an integrative theoretical model of cultural environment-social cognition interaction, extended the cross-cultural applicability of social cognitive theory, provided a new analytical framework for understanding adolescent career development patterns in complex cultural contexts, and offered scientific evidence for career guidance practice and educational policy formulation.

References

[1]. 1.Tan Y. Exploration of knowledge creation process of high school students in cross-cultural environment[J]. Journal of Huaiyin Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2023, 22(02): 175-178.

[2]. 2.Mao J C. Research on problems and countermeasures of cultural environment in high school moral education[J]. Brand Research, 2018, (02): 222-223.

[3]. 3.Wang Y, Zhang J, Yin P, et al. Standard curriculum learning efficacy of Tibetan students: The interactive effect of multicultural environment and self-related factors[J]. International Journal of Educational Research, 2025, 131: 102571-102571.

[4]. 4.Wei J. Shared Leadership and Employee Innovation in Chinese Cultural Context[J]. Advances in Social Behavior Research, 2024, 12(1): 5-7.

[5]. 5.Barr L K, Joseph G, Riddle L, et al. "Mammograms are kind of my pacifier": The cultural context of women's preference for annual mammograms in a risk-based screening cohort[J]. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 2024, 6: 100476-100476.

[6]. 6.Axelsson P E, Lussetti D, Franco M F. A Bornean database of plant uses and their cultural contexts: Introducing BioCultBaseBorneo[J]. Data in Brief, 2024, 57: 110926-110926.

[7]. 7.Sun B B. Paper cutting and community cultural environment: Innovative practice of intangible cultural heritage under social organization participation[J]. East China Paper Industry, 2025, 55(03): 10-12.

[8]. 8.Zhou J. A comparative perspective on Chinese state banquets and the underlying cultural context[J]. International Communication of Chinese Culture, 2024, 11(4): 1-17.

[9]. 9.Hartanto A, Sim L, Lee D, et al. Cultural contexts differentially shape parents' loneliness and wellbeing during the empty nest period[J]. Communications Psychology, 2024, 2(1): 105-105.

[10]. 10.Zhong C, Chen S H. Research on the impact of cultural environment perception and social participation on college students' national identity[J]. Guide to News Research, 2024, 15(18): 62-66.

[11]. 11.Gong C. The connotative evolution of traditional artistic motif "crane" from a cultural environment perspective[J]. Art Market, 2024, (06): 70-71.

[12]. 12.Dylman S A, Zakrisson I. The effect of language and cultural context on the BIG-5 personality inventory in bilinguals[J]. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2025, 46(2): 392-405.

[13]. 13.Hu H Z. Innovation exploration of ideological and political education work in universities under network cultural environment[J]. Journal of Huainan Vocational and Technical College, 2024, 24(01): 43-45.

[14]. 14.Huang X. Research on cultural environment in children's reading promotion in public libraries[J]. China National Expo, 2023, (23): 256-258.

[15]. 15.Guan Y B. Research on the generation mechanism of cultural confidence from a cultural cognitive perspective[J]. Academic Journal of Zhongzhou, 2023, (08): 83-89.

[16]. 16.Naif A. A Corpus-Based Analysis of Discourse Markers in ESL Writing Proficiency: Implications for Vocabulary Expansion, Writing Anxiety, and Cultural Context[J]. International Journal of English Linguistics, 2025, 15(2): 110-110.

[17]. 17.Fan S, Yao S, Wu D. The role of languages: adopting the motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) model to explore information sharing patterns among multilingual users in the Chinese cultural context[J]. Library Hi Tech, 2025, 43(2/3): 799-827.

[18]. 18.Apostolou M, Samara A, Lajunen J T. How People Manage Relationship Problems: An Exploratory Study in the Greek Cultural Context[J]. Behavioral Sciences, 2025, 15(2): 218-218.

[19]. 19.Gao Y. Research on the influence of contemporary social cultural environment on digital film art development[J]. Literature and Art Forum, 2023, (09): 183-188.

[20]. 20.Zhou F, Meng W W. Research on Chinese socialist auditing theory and practice from a cultural environment perspective[J]. Journal of Nanning Normal University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2023, 44(04): 120-124.

[21]. 21.Ren P, Wu G X, Zhao T. Improvement strategies for the integrated cultural environment system of ideological and political education[J]. Journal of Party and Government Cadres, 2021, (10): 22-28.

[22]. 22.Janashia K, Chikviladze A, Ramishvili A, et al. Foreign First-Year Female Medical Students Do Experience Acute Stress in the New Environment as Evidenced in a Virtual Model[J]. Creative Education, 2024, 15(12): 2418-2431.

[23]. 23.Eiman T S A. Integrating Protection Motivation Theory With Cultural Context: A Framework for Cybersecurity Education[J]. Journal of Cases on Information Technology (JCIT), 2025, 27(1): 1-27.

[24]. 24.Zeng P, Ma X, Zhong X, et al. Macrogenomic Analysis Reveals Feeding and Habitat Adaptation Related to the Gut Microbiota of the Non-Obligate Cave Dweller Oreolalax rhodostigmatus (Megophryidae, Anura) among Cave and Culture Environments[J]. Russian Journal of Genetics, 2025, 60(12): 1621-1630.

[25]. 25.Kotinda C A B, Eduardo C P, Ribeiro S B P. Posthumous dignity therapy: Challenges and opportunities in the Brazilian cultural context[J]. Palliative and Supportive Care, 2025, 23(91): e91-e91.

[26]. 26.Shepherd J. Biomimetic Approaches in the Development of Optimised 3D Culture Environments for Drug Discovery in Cardiac Disease[J]. Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland), 2025, 10(4): 204-204.

[27]. 27.Jounaid A, Amine A. How do heavy metal fans defend their taste regime? Insights from teenage fans in the French cultural context[J]. Journal of Marketing Management, 2025, 41(5-6): 508-534.

[28]. 28.Roehrich K J, Sarafan M, Squire B, et al. Conflict and Contract Use in Cross-Cultural Buyer–Supplier Relationships: The Role of Cultural Context[J]. Production and Operations Management, 2025, 34(5): 974-992.

[29]. 29.Garzillo M E, Corvino R A, Porciello G, et al. Young Workers and Lifestyles in a Mediterranean Cultural Context: What Is the Contribution of Occupational Health Promotion?[J]. Environments, 2025, 12(5): 147-147.

[30]. 30.Watts C M. Aging away from home: a cultural context and workforce challenges for African Australians; the necessity for an 'Afrocentric' care model in Australia[J]. Frontiers in Public Health, 2025, 13: 1577915-1577915.

[31]. 31.Awwad S M. Decoding health-related disasters through sociodemographic characteristics: Does Arab cultural context matter? Lessons from COVID-19[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2025, 122: 105468-105468.

[32]. 32.An X L. Differential analysis of cultural environment and cultural carriers in ideological and political education[J]. China Press, 2021, (18): 82-83.

[33]. 33.Bi L P. Research on cultural environment in children's reading promotion in public libraries[J]. Henan Library Journal, 2021, 41(04): 26-27.

[34]. 34.Traebert E, Ávila A G, Favero C, et al. Cross-cultural adaptation of the women's experience of vaginal examination in labour scale in the Brazilian cultural context[J]. Midwifery, 2025, 147: 104427-104427.

[35]. 35.Hidalgo R J A, Pantaleón Y, Ruiz O R, et al. Ethnic-cultural bullying among adolescents in multicultural environments: A study in Latin America[J]. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2025, 107: 102196-102196.

[36]. 36.Yonai E, Miller A E, Sherman M, et al. PCK, Who? Exploring Cultural Context in Science Teacher Knowledge Models[J]. The Science Teacher, 2025, 92(3): 8-14.

[37]. 37.Tan Y. Exploration of knowledge creation process of high school students in cross-cultural environment[J]. Journal of Huaiyin Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2023, 22(02): 175-178.

[38]. 38.Xu F, Wang J. Implementation pathways of immersive campus cultural environment education[J]. Innovative Talent Education, 2024, (06): 19-21.

[39]. 39.Asiimwe R, Welch T, Bowles R, et al. Measuring Parenting Practices: A Psychometric Analysis of the Adapted Alabama Parenting Questionnaire among Caregivers in a Uganda Cultural Context[J]. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2025, 34(6): 1-12.

[40]. 40.Gómez M J, Rodríguez E Y, Uribe P A M. Multi-level determinants of satisfaction in family business succession: The moderating role of cultural contexts[J]. Journal of Business Research, 2025, 197: 115455-115455.

[41]. 41.Mahesh G, Fall M D, Sophie V O. Digital influencers in different cultural contexts: effects of authenticity and value perceptions[J]. Internet Research, 2025, 35(3): 1353-1378.

[42]. 42.You C, Guo A N, Huang J H. Research on the construction of campus labor cultural environment in universities[J]. Modern Business Trade Industry, 2025, (01): 117-119.

[43]. 43.Meng H L. The integration of practical education and campus cultural environment construction in universities[J]. Earthquake Resistant Engineering and Retrofitting, 2024, 46(06): 195.

[44]. 44.Wang Z, Hämäläinen J, Zhao F. Divorce in a Cultural Context: Marriage Policy Transformations in the Chinese Mainland[J]. Family Transitions, 2025, 66(6): 349-378.

[45]. 45.Xie Y. Designing music education curriculum in a multicultural environment: Vocal training in China[J]. International Journal of Music Education, 2025, 43(3): 356-371.

[46]. 46.Sattar K, Owen K, Veasuvalingam B. Editorial: Nurturing medical professionalism in different cultural contexts[J]. Frontiers in Medicine, 2025, 12: 1654313-1654313.

[47]. 47.Makhlouf S, Cheraitia M, Alkama D. Daylighting, occupant behavior, and cultural context in Algerian collective housing: A post-occupancy evaluation in Annaba[J]. Journal of Building Engineering, 2025, 111: 113162-113162.

[48]. 48.Ghaith Z, Wagner D. The impact of cultural factors on international trade: an empirical analysis[J]. International Economics and Economic Policy, 2025, 22(3): 45-45.

[49]. 49.Zhang L T. Research on intangible cultural heritage environment renovation design under the background of rural revitalization[J]. Footwear Craft and Design, 2023, 3(22): 72-74.

[50]. 50.Purba E D, Linden D V D, Rahma F T, et al. Construct and criterion-related validity of the revised abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire (revised-ASLQ) in a collectivist cultural context[J]. Current Psychology, 2025, (prepublish): 1-14.

[51]. 51.Snijders V, Habersaat B K, Böhm R, et al. An approach to capturing the cultural contexts of health behaviours[J]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz, 2025, 68(9): 1-8.

[52]. 52.Yin H Q, Wang S J. Research on the educational function and pathways of red cultural environment in universities[J]. Industry and Technology Forum, 2024, 23(17): 103-105.

[53]. 53.Chen M, Zeng J. University ecological culture: Harmonious coexistence of environmental ecology and disciplinary ecology[J]. Higher Education Forum, 2023, (12): 50-54.

[54]. 54.Kirkland A, Whittaker C A, Boit M, et al. Cultural Context and Mental Health: A Kenyan Elite Athlete's Perspective[J]. Sports Medicine, 2025, (prepublish): 1-5.

[55]. 55.Younes B B Z, Tahat A, Talafha K D, et al. Unveiling Meaning and Cultural Context: A Socio-Semantic Analysis of Surnames in Jordan[J]. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2025, 16(5): 1764-1773.



21 Woodlands Close #02-10, Primz Bizhub,Postal 737854, Singapore

Email:editorial_office@as-pub.com