scholarly journals Social Comparisons and Satisfaction with Work

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Halliday Hardie
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Relative Deprivation ◽  
Social Comparisons ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Occupational Attainment ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
The Life Course

Two social psychological theories, relative deprivation theory and multiple discrepancies theory, suggest that individuals’ wellbeing depends, in part, on how they compare themselves to others or previously established standards. The current study uses 24 waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (N=9,813) and employs random- and fixed-effects models to examine whether job satisfaction is a function of four social comparisons: 1) the gap between occupational aspirations in adolescence and attainment, 2) the gap between parents’ occupational attainment and respondent’s occupational attainment, 3) the gap between siblings’ occupational attainment and respondent’s occupational attainment, and 4) the gap between predicted occupational attainment and actual occupational attainment. Findings reveal job satisfaction is negatively associated with falling short of one’s aspirations and falling short of one’s predicted occupational attainment. Exceeding one’s parents’ attainment is associated with higher odds of job satisfaction. However, associations between relative deprivation (or relative gain) and job satisfaction fades with age; young people’s satisfaction with their jobs may be swayed to a greater degree by social comparisons than older adults’ satisfaction. These findings make a unique contribution to the relative deprivation and multiple discrepancies theories, our understanding of wellbeing in relation to work, and variation over the life course.

Sticks and Stones

2016 ◽  
pp. 101-132
Author(s):  
Robin Maria Valeri ◽  
Kevin Borgeson
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Relative Deprivation ◽  
Identity Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Psychological Approach ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Hate Groups ◽  
New Members ◽  
Psychological Theories

The present chapter takes a social psychological approach to understanding hate groups and how hate groups use hate as a promotional tool and as an implement of aggression. As a promotional tool, hate groups use hate to attract new members to their organizations and to promote their beliefs to the mainstream public. Hate also serves as an incendiary, to fuel the emotions of their members, to incite them into action, and to wield against their targets. In this chapter we will attempt to explain why people hate and how they justify their hatred and resulting actions through a number of social psychological theories including realistic group conflict (Bonacich, 1972; Sherif et al., 1961/1988) relative deprivation (Catalono et al., 1993; Hepworth & West, 1988; Hovland & Sears, 1940), social identity theory (Abrams & Hogg, 1990; Festinger, 1954; Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Thoits & Virshup, 1997) and terror management (Pyszczynski, Solomon, & Greenberg, 1997; 2005; Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 1991; 2004).

Sticks and Stones

2016 ◽  
pp. 868-899
Author(s):  
Robin Maria Valeri ◽  
Kevin Borgeson
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Relative Deprivation ◽  
Identity Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Psychological Approach ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Hate Groups ◽  
New Members ◽  
Psychological Theories

The present chapter takes a social psychological approach to understanding hate groups and how hate groups use hate as a promotional tool and as an implement of aggression. As a promotional tool, hate groups use hate to attract new members to their organizations and to promote their beliefs to the mainstream public. Hate also serves as an incendiary, to fuel the emotions of their members, to incite them into action, and to wield against their targets. In this chapter we will attempt to explain why people hate and how they justify their hatred and resulting actions through a number of social psychological theories including realistic group conflict (Bonacich, 1972; Sherif et al., 1961/1988) relative deprivation (Catalono et al., 1993; Hepworth & West, 1988; Hovland & Sears, 1940), social identity theory (Abrams & Hogg, 1990; Festinger, 1954; Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Thoits & Virshup, 1997) and terror management (Pyszczynski, Solomon, & Greenberg, 1997; 2005; Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 1991; 2004).

scholarly journals So Useful as a Good Theory? The Practicality Crisis in (Social) Psychological Theory

2021 ◽  
pp. 174569162096965
Author(s):  
Elliot T. Berkman ◽  
Sylas M. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Social Issues ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
National Level ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Psychological Theory ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Health Domains ◽  
Societal Problems ◽  
Social Psychological Theory

Practicality was a valued attribute of academic psychological theory during its initial decades, but usefulness has since faded in importance to the field. Theories are now evaluated mainly on their ability to account for decontextualized laboratory data and not their ability to help solve societal problems. With laudable exceptions in the clinical, intergroup, and health domains, most psychological theories have little relevance to people’s everyday lives, poor accessibility to policymakers, or even applicability to the work of other academics who are better positioned to translate the theories to the practical realm. We refer to the lack of relevance, accessibility, and applicability of psychological theory to the rest of society as the practicality crisis. The practicality crisis harms the field in its ability to attract the next generation of scholars and maintain viability at the national level. We describe practical theory and illustrate its use in the field of self-regulation. Psychological theory is historically and scientifically well positioned to become useful should scholars in the field decide to value practicality. We offer a set of incentives to encourage the return of social psychology to the Lewinian vision of a useful science that speaks to pressing social issues.

scholarly journals Blood Donation across the Life Course: The Influence of Life Events on Donor Lapse

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tjeerd W. Piersma ◽  
René Bekkers ◽  
Wim de Kort ◽  
Eva-Maria Merz
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Blood Donation ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Blood Collection ◽  
Longitudinal Survey Data ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Life Course

This article examines how blood donation loyalty changes across the life course as a result of life events. Previous studies have shown that life events affect involvement in prosocial behavior, possibly as a result of loss of human and social capital. Using registry data from the blood collection agency in the Netherlands, linked to longitudinal survey data from the Donor InSight study (N = 20,560), we examined whether life events are related to blood donor lapse. Childbirth, losing a job, and starting a job increase the likelihood of donor lapse, while health-related events (i.e., blood transfusion in a family member, death of a family member) decrease the likelihood of donor lapse. Moreover, results showed how social and practical concerns explain donors’ decisions to donate blood after the occurrence of life events. We discuss theoretical implications for further studies on prosocial and health-related behavior.

scholarly journals Economic Conditions at School Leaving and Sleep Patterns Across the Life Course

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Catherine Maclean ◽  
Terrence D. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Sleep Quantity ◽  
Quality Sleep ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Work Type

Abstract We use data drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort to study the effects of leaving school in an economic downturn on sleep quality and quantity. We account for the potential endogeneity of economic conditions at school leaving using instrumental variables based on birth year and early state of residence. We find that men who leave school in an economic downturn initially experience lower quality sleep, but these men are able to experience improved sleep quality over time. Women who leave school in an economic downturn experience better sleep quality, although the effect emerges over time. We find that leaving school in an economic downturn increases sleep quantity among men and women. We document heterogeneity by work type.

Teacher-principal race and teacher satisfaction over time, region

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-639
Author(s):  
Samantha L. Viano ◽  
Seth B. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
White Teachers ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Teacher Job Satisfaction ◽  
Southern Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Black Principals ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to replicate prior findings on teacher-principal race congruence and teacher job satisfaction and extend the literature by investigating trends over time and if the relationship between race congruence and teacher job satisfaction differs by principal race and region. Design/methodology/approach The study sample comes from four waves of cross-sectional data, the nationally representative Schools and Staffing Survey, administered between 2000 and 2012. The analysis is conducted using ordinary least squares and school-year fixed effects with a comprehensive set of covariates. Findings The relationship between race congruence and teacher job satisfaction is attenuating over time and is likely explained by the lower job satisfaction of white teachers who work for black principals. Some evidence indicates teacher-principal race congruence has greater salience in the Southern region of the country. Find evidence that teachers with race-congruent principals report more workplace support than their non-race congruent colleagues. Research limitations/implications Future studies should investigate why racial congruence has more salience in the Southern region of the country and for white teachers who work with black principals. At the same time, results indicate that teacher-principal race congruence might no longer be a determinant of teacher job satisfaction, although further studies should continue investigating this relationship. Originality/value Findings on the changing nature of the relationship between principal-teacher race congruence and teacher job satisfaction over time as well as the differing nature of race congruence in the Southern region of the country are both novel findings in the literature.

Response of the Elderly to Disaster: An Age-Stratified Analysis

1983 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bolin ◽  
Daniel J. Klenow
Keyword(s):  
Relative Deprivation ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Disaster Victims ◽  
Stress Effects ◽  
Survey Techniques ◽  
Kinship Relations ◽  
Utilization Patterns ◽  
Stratified Analysis

This article analyzes the effects of chronological age of disaster victims on their responses to stress effects of natural disasters. Previous research is reviewed and major findings of that research are noted. Findings regarding disaster losses, physical impacts, aid utilization patterns, kinship relations, relative deprivation, social-psychological impacts, neglect of elderly disaster victims, and differential recovery rates by age are retested on new data. Data described herein were gathered using survey techniques in two disaster stricken communities in Texas. Elderly victims' responses to the tornadoes are compared to a nonelderly (under sixty years of age) group to assess differences. Findings of previous research were, in many instances, supported although certain divergences between the current findings and preceding findings are noted, particularly in rates of recovery.

Relative supervisor education and worker well-being

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 731-745
Author(s):  
Benjamin Artz
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Worker Education ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Less educated supervisors create worker status incongruence, a violation of social norms that signals advancement uncertainty and job ambiguity for workers, and leads to negative behavioral and well-being outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to compare education levels of supervisors with their workers and measure the correlation between relative supervisor education and worker job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Using the only wave of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth that identifies education levels of both supervisor and worker, a series of ordered probit estimates describe the relationship between supervisor education levels and subordinate worker well-being. Extensive controls, sub-sample estimates and a control for sorting confirm the estimates. Findings Worker well-being is negatively correlated with having a less educated supervisor and positively correlated with having a more educated supervisor. This result is robust to a number of alternative specifications. In sub-sample estimates, workers highly placed in an organization’s hierarchy do not exhibit reduced well-being with less educated supervisors. Research limitations/implications A limitation is the inability to control for worker fixed effects, which may introduce omitted variable bias into the estimates. Originality/value The paper is the first to introduce relative supervisor–worker education level as a determinant of worker well-being.

Paul and the Author of 1 Clement as Entrepreneurs of Identity in Corinthian Crises of Leadership

2021 ◽  
pp. 0142064X2110647
Author(s):  
Katja Kujanpää
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
The Past ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Identity Approach

When Paul and the author of 1 Clement write letters to Corinth to address crises of leadership, both discuss Moses’ παρρησία (frankness and openness), yet they evaluate it rather differently. In this article, I view both authors as entrepreneurs of identity and explore the ways in which they try to shape their audience’s social identity and influence their behaviour in the crisis by selectively retelling scriptural narratives related to Moses. The article shows that social psychological theories under the umbrella term of the social identity approach help to illuminate the active role of leaders in identity construction as well as the processes of retelling the past in order to mobilize one’s audience.

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