Linking psychological capital and feedback-seeking behavior: Feedback cognition as a mediator

Although previous researchers have examined the effects of the 4 positive psychological resources of psychological capital (PsyCap) on feedback-seeking behavior, and the influence of PsyCap on proactive behavior, the relationship between PsyCap and feedback-seeking behavior and its underlying mechanism has not been established. Thus, we explored whether or not the link between PsyCap and feedback-seeking behavior was mediated by feedback cognition, by conducting a 3-wave survey with 215 students from 4 universities in southern China. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied to examine our hypotheses. Results showed that PsyCap significantly influenced feedback- seeking behavior, and that feedback cognition fully mediated this relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.