Abstract
The investigation of the unemployment consequences is a challenging theme in current psychological research. The recent controversy on the nature of general causality orientations (GCO’s) as personality traits stood as a reason for this study. Considering that prolonged unemployment is a significant life event, we investigated the stability in time (as a condition for a personality trait) of GCO’s for a sample of unemployed and we compared the results to those obtained from a sample of employed individuals. The first measure took place in April 2007, the second in September 2007 and the third in November 2011. The results indicated a higher level of control orientation for the unemployed in T3 and a significant positive growth of impersonal orientation for the same sample. Among the research limits were the poor data collection about the reasons of unemployment, family structure, job search behaviors and economic status. Language: English
Highlights
This research behavior was already identified in the late 1930’s by Eisenberg and Lazarsfeld (1938), who concluded that “there is no doubt that unemployment affects [...] personality traits, but we have little available material” (Eisenberg & Lazarsfeld, 1938, p. 363). Starting from these observations, our research aims to investigate whether prolonged unemployment might alter personality traits, namely the general causality orientations (GCO’s)
Considering that prolonged unemployment is a significant life event, we investigated the stability in time of GCO’s for a sample of unemployed and we compared the results to those obtained from a sample of employed individuals
In T1, autonomy orientation was positively correlated with control orientation, probably due to early unemployment experience
Summary
It is clearly understood that the negative effect of unemployment goes well beyond the income loss (Winkelmann, 2009), affecting mental health (Reine, Novo, & Hammarström, 2004), physical health (Eliason & Storrie, 2009), adaptability (McArdle, Waters, Briscoe, & Hall, 2007), sociability (Burnay, Kiss, & Malchaire, 2005), motivation (Vansteenkiste, Lens, De Witte, & Feather, 2005), social networks (Price, Choi, & Vinokur, 2002), well-being (McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg, & Kinicki, 2005), etc. Given the broad area of life domains, most studies tried to identify the effects of unemployment on specific targets, virtually isolating some relevant variables. Many of the studies are rather descriptive, because the authors rarely succeeded to explain the psychological processes involved in the process that occurs between unemployment and its negative effects. Research on the relationship between unemployment and mental health focused on a large number of variables, including vitality, social functioning, emotional stability, anxiety, depression, self-esteem etc. Researchers often neglected or failed to draw the borderline between context dependent states or personal habits (shaving, washing, sexual behavior) and broader attitudes to life or even personality traits
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