The Impact of Goal Orientation on College Students’ Innovative Behavior: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Attribution Style

Against the backdrop of the accelerating evolution of the global technological revolution, economic transformation and upgrading, and the paradigm shift in higher education, this study focuses on the innovative behavior of college students, exploring the impact of goal orientation on their innovative behavior and the mediating role of interpersonal attribution style in this relationship. The research employed The Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (K-AIS) , Goal Orientation Scale (GOS) , and the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Scale (MMCS) . Through convenience sampling, 357 freshmen from a university in Hunan Province were surveyed. The results indicated that college students’ innovative behavior was significantly positively correlated with goal orientation and significantly negatively correlated with interpersonal attribution style. Goal orientation was significantly negatively correlated with interpersonal attribution style and its sub-dimension of luck attribution. Interpersonal attribution style partially mediated the relationship between goal orientation and college students’ innovative behavior. This study provides theoretical basis and practical guidance for the reform of innovation and entrepreneurship education and teaching in colleges and universities, contributing to the continuous progress of higher education in cultivating innovative talents.