How do career shocks shape occupational calling? Testing a moderated chained mediation model

Abstract

The present study examined how several career shocks experienced by students in the health care fields during the COVID-19 pandemic shaped their subsequent occupational calling. Drawing on social information processing theory, we posit that the perceived impact of career shocks is positively related to an improvement in the perceptions of occupational characteristics (i.e., perceived task significance and social worth) and resultant improvement in psychological states (i.e., meaningful work and prosocial motivation), which in turn are expected to be positively related to an improvement in occupational calling. We further posit that intrinsic motivation should weaken the above links through the perceptions of occupational characteristics. A four-wave prospective field study with baseline measures was conducted with 703 students in the health care fields in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results based on path analysis largely supported the hypothesized moderated chained mediation model. In addition, several novel relationships were discovered between perceived occupational characteristics and psychological states (i.e., the perceived task significance—prosocial motivation link and the perceived social worth—meaningful work link). Theoretical and practical implications, as well as future research directions, were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)