THE IMPACT OF CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP STYLE ON STUDENTS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL ADAPTABILITY OF VOCATIONAL COLLEGE IN KUNMING, CHINA

Abstract

The research aims （1） To study the levels of student’s psychological adaptability. （2） To study the relationship between contingency leadership styles and students’ psychological adaptability.  （3） To study the impact of contingency leadership style on students’ psychological adaptability. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected through structured questionnaires from 375 students selected via stratified random sampling from a population of 6,000. Leadership styles were measured with the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ-XII), while psychological adaptability was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation, multiple regression, and ANOVA. Findings reveal that relationship-oriented leadership is the dominant style and has a stronger positive impact on students’ adaptability—especially on optimism and strength—compared to task-oriented eadership. Moreover, a combined use of both leadership styles yields a significantly greater effect than either alone. The study recommends that vocational college counselors integrate both leadership styles to enhance students’ resilience and coping abilities, contributing to improved psychological well-being and academic success.