The effects of stress and conscious self-regulation on students’ career adaptability

The issues of students’ professional self-determination cannot be considered today in isolation from challenges of coping with uncertainty, managing stress, and maintaining stable professional development in a rapidly changing world. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between conscious self-regulation, career adaptability, and perceived stress among students. The sample consisted of 1436 students aged 16 to 23 years (Mage = 17.9; SD = 1.35) from educational institutions of the Russian Federation. The following methods were used: “Self-regulation profile questionnaire — SRPQM 2020” by V.I. Morosanova, “Career-Adaptabilities Scale, CAAS” by M. Savickas and E. Porfelli adapted in Russian and “Perceived Stress Scale — PSS 10” by S. Cohen and G. Williamson adapted in Russian. Comparative analysis revealed that students reporting low perceived stress levels demonstrated more developed conscious self-regulation and higher career adaptability compared to those with average or high stress levels. Regression analysis further indicated that perceived stress significantly and negatively predicted career adaptability, whereas conscious self-regulation emerged as a positive predictor. These findings suggest that conscious self-regulation acts as a meta-resource, enabling students to manage stress effectively, maintain their professional development trajectory in conditions of uncertainty, and achieve their educational goals.