SSSP

Springer Series in Social

Psychology

SSSP
Norman T. Feather

The Psychological IIllpact of Unemploytnent

Springer-Verlag New York Berlin Heidelberg London Paris Tokyo Hong Kong

Norman T. Feather Discipline of Psychology School of Social Sciences The Flinders University of South Australia Bedford Park, South Australia 5042 Australia

With 10 Illustrations. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Feather, Norman T. The psychological impact of unemployment / Norman T. Feather. cm.-(Springer series in social psychology) p. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Unemployment-Psychological aspects. I. Title. II. Series HD5708.F43 1989 331.13'7'019-dc20 89-19687 Printed on acid-free paper.

1990 by Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1990
All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, etc. in this publication, even if the former are not especially identified, is not to be taken as a sign that such names, as understood by the Trade Marks and Merchandise Marks Act, may accordingly be used freely by anyone. Typeset by Asco Trade Typesetting Ltd., Hong Kong.

987654321 ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-7933-4 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-3250-6 DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4612-3250-6

For Daryl and Mark

Preface

This book is concerned with the psychological effects of unemployment. In writing it I had two main aims: (1) to describe theoretical approaches that are relevant to understanding unemployment effects; and (2) to present the results of studies from a program of research with which I have been closely involved over recent years. In order to meet these aims I have organized the book into two main parts. I discuss background research and theoretical approaches in the first half of the book, beginning with research concerned with the psychological effects of unemployment during the Great Depression and continuing through to a discussion of more recent contributions. I have not attempted to review the literature in fine detail. Instead, I refer to some of the landmark studies and to the main theoretical ideas that have been developed. This discussion takes us through theoretical approaches that have emerged from the study of work, employment, and unemployment to a consideration of wider frameworks that can also be applied to further our understanding of unemployment effects. A consistent theme throughout the book is that research into the psychological impact of unemployment can draw upon a range of theoretical ideas from psychology, depending upon the type of question that is asked. We are not limited to theories that specifically derive from the study of work, employment, and unemployment. The net can be spread more widely so as to gather in ideas from psychological research concerned with the self, stress and coping, expectancy-value theories of motivation, causal attributions, learned helplessness, self-efficacy, and life-span development, to cite some of the approaches that I discuss in the first half of the book. The second half of the book describes a set of studies with which I have been associated over the past few years. Most of this research has been concerned with youth unemployment but more recently I have initiated studies of the psychological impact of unemployment in older age groups. In presenting these studies I have drawn freely from my previous publications, often verbatim. This book provides me with the opportunity to bring these studies

viii

Preface

together for the first time, showing how they interrelate and how there has been a development from relatively simple cross-sectional investigations to more complex longitudinal studies. The reader is thereby presented with a bird's-eye view of an extensive, evolving research program concerned with unemployment effects, a view that is not possible when studies are considered in isolation. The studies cover a wide range of variables. The results inform us about affective reactions to unemployment; changes in causal attributions, values, and aspects of the self-concept; perceptions of time use; and the effects of financial stress, among other variables. In order to account for some of these effects one is inevitably drawn to the theories discussed in the first half of the book. Hence the two parts of the book are not separate halves; they stand together. Where possible, I have tried to relate findings from the research program to the theoretical ideas discussed in previous chapters and to recent findings from the literature. I am grateful to the Australian Research Grants Scheme, the British Council Academic Links and Interchange Scheme, and to Flinders University for providing funds that enabled me to develop and complete the various studies described in this book. I also wish to acknowledge the help of my colleagues and students at Flinders University who, over the years, have worked with me in the research program. I also wish to thank Carol McNally, Kay Guest, and Rosemary Kamenjarin who assisted in typing the manuscript-especially Carol McNally who took the major role with patience, thoughtfulness, good humor, and skill. Adelaide, September 1989 Norman T. Feather

Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. 2. Introduction and Overview ..................................... Background Research .......................................... Studies of the Great Depression ................................ More Recent Studies ........................................... 3. Theoretical Approaches from the Study of Work, Employment, and Unemployment ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Theories ................................................. lahoda's Functional Approach........... ... .. .. . ..... . ..... . ... lob Content and Locus of Control .............................. Agency Theory ................................................ Warr's Vitamin Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. Theoretical Approaches: Some Wider Frameworks............... Self-Concept Theory........................................... Stress and Coping Models ...................................... Expectancy-Value Theory...................................... Attribution Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helplessness Theory ........................................... Self-Efficacy Theory......................... .......... ......... Life-Span Developmental Psychology ........................... Concluding Comments ......................................... 5. Scales and Measures.................... ......... ....... ...... .. Self-Concept Measures......................... ................ Value Measures................................................

vii 1 9 10 19 25 26 32 36 37 38 47 47 55 62 66 71 73 77 81 83 83 86

Contents Affect and Psychological Well-Being............................ Causal Attributions ............................................ External Locus of Control ...................................... Expectation and Valence Measures............................. Time Structure ................................................. Action Measures ............................................... Financial Stress and Strain ...................................... Unemployment History ........................................ Social Support ................................................. Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. Youth Unemployment: Single-Group Studies..................... Research with Unemployed Groups............................. Research with Student Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concluding Comments ......................................... 7. Youth Unemployment: Comparison-Group Studies............... Employed Versus Unemployed Groups: General Population..... Employed Versus Unemployed Groups: University Graduates... Further Research on Time Structure ............................ Potential Social Action ......................................... 8. Youth Unemployment: Longitudinal Studies..................... Longitudinal Study of School-Leavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transitions Between Employment and Unemployment.......... Moderating Effects............................................. Job-Seeking Behavior.......................................... Quality of Employment ........................................ 9. Studies with Older-Age Groups ................................. Young Versus Middle-Aged Groups............................ Reported Behavior Change in Older Men ....................... Job-Seeking Behavior: Further Findings ........................ Concluding Comments ......................................... 89 91 98 98 100 101 104 105 105 106 107 107 119 137 141 141 148 158 162 173 174 187 193 199 210 215 216 224 234 237 239 239 241 244 249 251

10.

Epilogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Some General Conclusions..................................... Theoretical Issues .............................................. Research with Larger Units. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Final Comments ...............................................

Contents

xi

References Author Index ........................................................ Subject Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

255 275

281