138. Construction of an evaluation system for cultivating positive psychology among law students in higher education institutions in the new era

Abstract Background The construction of the rule of law in the new era places higher demands on university students majoring in law. In addition to solid professional competence, positive psychological qualities such as stress resistance, empathy, and professional identity are core supports for their adaptation to legal practice. At present, university psychological assessments lack evaluation systems for cultivating positive psychology that are tailored to the characteristics of law majors, resulting in cultivation efforts that lack precise guidance and scientific feedback. Therefore, it is necessary to study in connection with the training goals of law professionals to establish a systematic and practical evaluation system for cultivating positive psychology, providing theoretical and practical support for improving the mental health of law students. Methods This study selected 240 participants, including law students and faculty from three universities at different levels, as well as legal practitioners. A literature review was used to identify the core dimensions of positive psychology, and evaluation indicators were initially drafted based on the characteristics of the legal profession. The Delphi method was used to optimize the indicator system through two rounds of expert consultation, ultimately determine ng four primary dimensions and twelve secondary indicators. A “Positive Psychological Cultivation Evaluation Scale for Law Students” was developed, and a pre-survey was conducted with 180 students. Exploratory factor analysis was used to test construct validity, Cronbach’s α coefficient was used to test reliability, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to determine the weights of each indicator. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Results As shown in Table 1, the evaluation system constructed in this study includes four primary dimensions: cognitive efficacy (weight 0.28), emotion management (0.25), professional identity (0.27), and social adaptation (0.20). In the pre-survey, the scores for each dimension were: cognitive efficacy 3.72 ± 0.58, emotion management 3.56 ± 0.61, professional identity 3.85 ± 0.53, and social adaptation 3.63 ± 0.59. Secondary indicators cover logical reasoning, stress management, and belief in the rule of law. The scale showed good reliability and validity, with a total Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.89 and α coefficients for each dimension ranging from 0.78 to 0.85. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a fit index χ2/df = 2.31, RMSEA = 0.07, and CFI = 0.92, indicating good structural fit. Discussion The evaluation system developed in the study shows that professional identity and cognitive efficacy account for the highest proportions, aligning with the core needs of talent development in the field of law, and possessing good scientific validity and practicality. This system can help accurately identify gaps in cultivation, optimize training programs, and in the future, it can expand sample coverage and dynamically adjust indicator weights using longitudinal tracking data, enhancing the system’s adaptability across different universities and promoting the standardized development of positive psychological cultivation in the legal profession.