ABSTRACT Are social contexts as important to civic participation in adulthood as they are in adol... more ABSTRACT Are social contexts as important to civic participation in adulthood as they are in adolescence? And does their significance for civic participation vary across adulthood? Using data from a cross-sectional sample of German adults aged 18 to 75 who were surveyed in 2013 by mail, the authors investigated the relationships of perceived family support, perceived support from friends, place attachment, social cohesion, and organizational collective efficacy with three indicators of civic participation. The authors split the sample into four age groups: 18 to 29 (n1 = 442), 30 to 44 (n2 = 596), 45 to 59 (n3 = 1,095), and 60 to 75 (n4 = 931). Perceived support from family was negatively associated with the breadth (i.e., the number of domains) of civic participation in the youngest group and with future intentions for civic participation in three age groups. Perceived support from friends had positive relationships with the intensity (i.e., frequency) of civic participation and with future intentions at age 30 to 44. Place attachment and organizational collective efficacy were positively related to all indicators of civic participation, and some of these associations held across age groups. In contrast, social cohesion had no significant effects. The authors discuss implications for fostering civic participation across adulthood.
ABSTRACT Civic participation is a cornerstone of civil societies and a part of positive and produ... more ABSTRACT Civic participation is a cornerstone of civil societies and a part of positive and productive individual development. Much is known about individual predictors of civic participation among ethnic majority Western adolescent and young adult samples. In this special issue, the authors aim to uncover the predictors of civic participation in less studied populations to better understand diverse routes to civic participation across ages and cultures. Framed by life-span and ecological perspectives, this special issue draws together studies that target different age groups, from adolescents to the old–old, as well as minority and immigrant populations and residents of diverse countries, including the United States, Australia, Eastern and Western European countries, and Turkey.
We investigated how older adults' perceptions of societal expectations for active aging, or activ... more We investigated how older adults' perceptions of societal expectations for active aging, or activation demands (e.g., to stay fit and to contribute to the public good), relate to their involvement in paid work and formal volunteering and psychological adjustment. We used two waves of survey data on young-old Germans (aged 56-75, NT1 = 1,508, NT2 = 602). With the exception of several items on perceived activation demands, paid work and volunteering were not significant longitudinal predictors of such demands. In females, perceived activation demands increased the likelihood to work for pay a year later. Finally, among nonworking individuals, perceived activation demands predicted a better physical self-concept and a higher positive affect, whereas among nonvolunteers, such demands predicted fewer depressive symptoms a year later. We conclude that the policy debate on active aging may benefit some older German adults but is of little consequence for most of them.
We investigated whether goal engagement and disengagement in coping with occupational uncertainty... more We investigated whether goal engagement and disengagement in coping with occupational uncertainty (e.g., perceptions of growing difficulties in career planning and lacking job opportunities) predicts three objective career-related outcomes: job loss, job finding, and income change. We also tested for the buffering effects of these coping strategies on the association between objectively unfavorable labor market conditions (as indicated by regional unemployment rates) and these outcomes. We used four-wave survey data from a longitudinal sample of 620 German adults aged 16–43 years at the first wave and analyzed changes in the three career-related outcomes across 1294 pairs of successive annual waves. Analyses revealed that goal engagement predicted a higher chance of job finding over one year. Moreover, goal engagement buffered the association between higher regional unemployment rates and a higher likelihood of job loss, as well as a lower income, over one year. Goal disengagement predicted a lower income but had no other statistically significant effects. Thus, even in a relatively highly regulated labor market like the German one, goal engagement in coping with occupational uncertainty can contribute to objective career success.
We investigated how general social support from family, friends and acquaintances, and community ... more We investigated how general social support from family, friends and acquaintances, and community predicted intentions for civic (e.g. volunteering) and political (e.g. petitioning) participation via the constructs specified in the theory of planned behaviour. Participants were young adults living in the former East Germany, a post-communist region, who were surveyed by telephone in 2010 (Ncivic = 695, Npolitical = 694). Civic participation was perceived more favourably than political participation. Supportive family predicted intentions for civic participation; supportive community services predicted both types of intentions; and supportive friends and acquaintances had no significant effects. The mediating variables were subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, but not attitudes. All effects were controlled for sociodemographic variables, richness of the social network, and past experience of civic and political participation. Findings underscore the role of supportive community in fostering both civic and political participation.
A typological approach to civic participation and nonparticipation may be useful to develop targe... more A typological approach to civic participation and nonparticipation may be useful to develop targeted recruitment or intervention strategies. We applied the behavior change framework, which distinguishes between preintenders, intenders, and actors, to civic participation. Using a sample of 695 individuals (aged 20–40) surveyed in 2010 in two of the new federal states of Germany, we conducted latent profile analysis on three continuous indicators of civic participation (factual participation, perceived behavioral control, and future intention). Five profiles emerged: the Staunch Abstainers, the Indifferent Abstainers, the Somewhat Committed, the Aspiring, and the Highly Committed. The profiles significantly differed in socioeconomic status (SES) but not in age, gender, employment, or family status. Moreover, a higher SES was not always associated with higher civic participation, and different SES indicators appeared to play different roles. We discuss ways to foster civic participation in each group.
It is widely believed that warm and supportive parenting fosters all kinds of prosocial behaviors... more It is widely believed that warm and supportive parenting fosters all kinds of prosocial behaviors in the offspring, including civic engagement. However, accumulating international evidence suggests that the effects of family support on civic engagement may sometimes be negative. To address this apparent controversy, we identified several scenarios for the negative effects of supportive parenting on youth civic engagement and tested them using four waves of data from the Finnish Educational Transitions Studies. They followed 1549 students (55 % female) from late adolescence into young adulthood, included both maternal (n = 231) and offspring reports of parental support, and assessed civic engagement in young adulthood. Control variables included socioeconomic status, other sociodemographic indicators, church belonging, personality traits, and earlier civic engagement. Higher maternal warmth and support and a stronger identification with the parental family in adolescence predicted offspring's lower political activism up to 10 years later. Perceived parental support in young adulthood predicted lower volunteering 2 years later. There were no significant effects on general organizational involvement (e.g., in student and hobby associations). None of the a priori scenarios that we identified from the literature appeared to explain the pattern of results satisfactorily. We put forth cultural and life stage explanations of our findings.
Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using ... more Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using data on German adults aged 56 to 75 (N = 1,468), the authors investigated perceived level of activation demands (e.g., increased expectations that the young-old will contribute to the public good) and appraisal of them as threatening or challenging by individuals with different health status and socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, perceived level of demands was moderately high, and they were seen rather as a challenge. East Germans, those with better subjective health, and those unemployed reported a higher level of activation demands, whereas retired and widowed individuals reported a lower level. Moreover, East Germans, individuals with lower educational attainment, and those reporting health problems (but not physically handicapped individuals) experienced these demands more as a threat and less as a challenge. The authors argue that more targeted policy strategies are needed to promote active ageing in disadvantaged groups.
Common wisdom suggests that individuals confronted with occupational uncertainty (e.g., job insec... more Common wisdom suggests that individuals confronted with occupational uncertainty (e.g., job insecurity and difficulties with career planning) may withdraw from volunteering. We argue that volunteering may be useful to workers in some career stages and that stage-appropriate coping with occupational uncertainty may increase individuals’ readiness to volunteer. In Study 1, we used cross-sectional and 1-year follow-up data from Germany that covered three age groups: 16–29 (NT1 = 1,253, NT2 = 224), 30–43 (NT1 = 1,560, NT2 = 371), and 56–75 (NT1 = 518, NT2 = 215). High engagement and low disengagement in coping with occupational uncertainty were associated with concurrent volunteering in the youngest group but not in the other groups. Over 1 year, high disengagement reduced the likelihood of starting volunteering in the youngest group and increased this likelihood in the oldest group. Study 2 used an independent, cross-sectional German sample that included two age groups: 20–29 (N = 326) and 30–40 (N = 367). Using a different measure of volunteering, Study 2 partly replicated the cross-sectional findings from Study 1. Results suggest that individual agency is a decisive link between occupational uncertainty and the readiness to volunteer, particularly among young labor market entrants.
Social participation has been hypothesised to have both positive and negative impact on health ou... more Social participation has been hypothesised to have both positive and negative impact on health outcomes via a variety of pathways, but previous studies have found few significant effects of social participation, and there is a lack of research from post-communist societies, which are known to be low on social capital. Using cross-sectional data from Poland on 2970 individuals surveyed in 2009, we investigated the individual-level relationships between formal and informal social participation, emotional well-being, and risky alcohol consumption while controlling for demographic variables, socioeconomic status, employment and partnership status, health, religiosity, and generalised trust. Frequent joint activities with friends and neighbours were related to higher positive affect but also to more risky alcohol consumption. Membership in voluntary organisations was associated with more risky alcohol consumption, especially among younger males and for certain types of organisations. In contrast, volunteer work was related to higher positive affect and fewer depressive symptoms in the whole sample and to less risky alcohol consumption among the younger participants. The findings illustrate that some types of social participation, even if they are not typical of a given context (e.g., volunteering in Poland), may be more beneficial than others.
Objective. We investigated the relationship between dispositional optimism and coping with growin... more Objective. We investigated the relationship between dispositional optimism and coping with growing occupational uncertainty, drawing on the lifespan theory of control to assess coping.
Method. Participants were 606 German adults with various sociodemographic backgrounds, aged 16–43. They were interviewed at the end of 2005 (Time 1) and at the beginning of 2007 (Time 2). We regressed each control strategy at Time 2 on its scores at Time 1, optimism at Time 1, three moderating variables, and their interactions with optimism.
Results. Dispositional optimism predicted an increase in both goal engagement strategies (selective primary and compensatory primary control) only under favourable conditions (low regional unemployment rate, low perceived growth in occupational uncertainty, and high perceived controllability of this stressor). Specific conditions moderating the effects of optimism differed between the two engagement strategies. In addition, an unfavourable labour market situation as such prompted an increase in goal engagement. No effects of optimism on goal disengagement (compensatory secondary control) at Time 2 were found.
Conclusions. The effects of dispositional optimism on the change in control strategies were contingent on the labour market situation, which supports the view that optimists are better able to tailor their coping responses to available opportunities.
The negative impact of unemployment on subjective well-being (SWB) is well known, but the role of... more The negative impact of unemployment on subjective well-being (SWB) is well known, but the role of age in this relationship remains unclear. We suggest that cumulative advantage (or disadvantage) associated with the duration of current employment status may produce an age-related divergence in SWB between employed and unemployed individuals. We used cross-sectional data on employed (n = 1382) and unemployed (n = 254) Germans (age 18–42) surveyed in 2005. We found that, among currently employed individuals, relatively older age predicted longer employment duration (tenure), which was related to higher SWB via higher income and higher perceived occupational security. Among currently unemployed individuals, age predicted longer unemployment duration, which was associated with lower SWB via lower perceived social support. Thus, age was indirectly related to higher SWB in employed individuals and to lower SWB in unemployed individuals. In this way, cumulative advantage of long-term employment and cumulative disadvantage of long-term unemployment contributed to the age-related divergence in SWB between employed and unemployed Germans already in the first half of working life.
The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2012
"Objectives. We tested whether formal volunteering, in terms of its associations with mental heal... more "Objectives. We tested whether formal volunteering, in terms of its associations with mental health, compensates for the absence of major work and family roles among older adults or rather complements such roles among both younger and older adults.
Method. Two cross-sectional samples of younger (aged 18–42 years, N = 2,346) and older (aged 56–75 years, N = 1,422) German adults were used. We regressed mental health indicators on control variables, 2 indicators of formal volunteering (participation in voluntary organizations and volunteer work), and their interactions with employment/partnership status.
Results. Participation in voluntary organizations was associated with higher positive affect, higher life satisfaction, and fewer depressive symptoms in younger adults. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction only among working individuals, although the difference from nonworking individuals was not significant. Volunteer work was associated with higher positive affect in both age groups. In younger adults, it had no relation to life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction among nonworking individuals and to fewer depressive symptoms among those without a steady partner.
Discussion. Volunteer work but not participation in voluntary organizations yielded compensatory effects on mental health among older adults."
Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using ... more Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using data on German adults aged 56–75 (N = 1468), we investigated perceived level of activation demands (e.g., increased expectations that the young old will contribute to the public good) and appraisal of them as threatening or challenging by individuals with different health status and socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, perceived level of demands was moderately high, and they were seen rather as a challenge. East Germans, those with better subjective health, and those unemployed reported a higher level of activation demands whereas retired and widowed individuals reported a lower level. Moreover, East Germans, individuals with lower educational attainment, and those reporting health problems (but not physically handicapped individuals) experienced these demands more as a threat and less as a challenge. We argue that more targeted policy strategies are needed to promote active ageing in disadvantaged groups.
Keywords: social change, activation, young-old, life course, societal expectations"
Drawing on two nationally representative German studies (N1 = 1744, N2 = 759), we examined correl... more Drawing on two nationally representative German studies (N1 = 1744, N2 = 759), we examined correlates of early, on-time, and late curfew autonomy, a retrospective indicator of behavioural autonomy, in young and middle adulthood (19–37 years of age). Adjustment in four domains was considered: educational attainment, externalizing problem behaviour, subjective well-being, and interpersonal relationships. The early group showed lower adjustment in multiple domains across young and middle adulthood. The late group reported a mixed pattern of adjustment at younger ages (lower externalizing problems, but lower positive affect, lower importance of peers, and lower likelihood to have a partner) and positive adjustment in all domains at older ages. Timing effects were controlled for sociodemographic characteristics and retrospective measures of early adversities, pubertal timing, disclosure to parents, and peer group affiliation in adolescence. Findings show that late behavioural autonomy in its correlates is not simply the opposite of early behavioural autonomy.
Keywords: Adolescent development; Young and middle adulthood; Behavioural autonomy; Developmental timing; Early and late transitions
Youth development occurs in multiple contexts, which are affected by macro-level social processes... more Youth development occurs in multiple contexts, which are affected by macro-level social processes that change opportunities and constraints for the attainment of various developmental tasks. In this paper, we review some of the transformations that central developmental contexts of adolescence undergo under conditions of recent global social and economic change. We then argue that interindividual differences in the way adolescents perceive and appraise such transformations are the key to understanding their effects on individual development. The relevant theoretical framework is provided by the Jena Model of Social Change and Human Development, which helps to trace the cascading effects of social and economic change from the macro- to the micro-level.
ABSTRACT Are social contexts as important to civic participation in adulthood as they are in adol... more ABSTRACT Are social contexts as important to civic participation in adulthood as they are in adolescence? And does their significance for civic participation vary across adulthood? Using data from a cross-sectional sample of German adults aged 18 to 75 who were surveyed in 2013 by mail, the authors investigated the relationships of perceived family support, perceived support from friends, place attachment, social cohesion, and organizational collective efficacy with three indicators of civic participation. The authors split the sample into four age groups: 18 to 29 (n1 = 442), 30 to 44 (n2 = 596), 45 to 59 (n3 = 1,095), and 60 to 75 (n4 = 931). Perceived support from family was negatively associated with the breadth (i.e., the number of domains) of civic participation in the youngest group and with future intentions for civic participation in three age groups. Perceived support from friends had positive relationships with the intensity (i.e., frequency) of civic participation and with future intentions at age 30 to 44. Place attachment and organizational collective efficacy were positively related to all indicators of civic participation, and some of these associations held across age groups. In contrast, social cohesion had no significant effects. The authors discuss implications for fostering civic participation across adulthood.
ABSTRACT Civic participation is a cornerstone of civil societies and a part of positive and produ... more ABSTRACT Civic participation is a cornerstone of civil societies and a part of positive and productive individual development. Much is known about individual predictors of civic participation among ethnic majority Western adolescent and young adult samples. In this special issue, the authors aim to uncover the predictors of civic participation in less studied populations to better understand diverse routes to civic participation across ages and cultures. Framed by life-span and ecological perspectives, this special issue draws together studies that target different age groups, from adolescents to the old–old, as well as minority and immigrant populations and residents of diverse countries, including the United States, Australia, Eastern and Western European countries, and Turkey.
We investigated how older adults' perceptions of societal expectations for active aging, or activ... more We investigated how older adults' perceptions of societal expectations for active aging, or activation demands (e.g., to stay fit and to contribute to the public good), relate to their involvement in paid work and formal volunteering and psychological adjustment. We used two waves of survey data on young-old Germans (aged 56-75, NT1 = 1,508, NT2 = 602). With the exception of several items on perceived activation demands, paid work and volunteering were not significant longitudinal predictors of such demands. In females, perceived activation demands increased the likelihood to work for pay a year later. Finally, among nonworking individuals, perceived activation demands predicted a better physical self-concept and a higher positive affect, whereas among nonvolunteers, such demands predicted fewer depressive symptoms a year later. We conclude that the policy debate on active aging may benefit some older German adults but is of little consequence for most of them.
We investigated whether goal engagement and disengagement in coping with occupational uncertainty... more We investigated whether goal engagement and disengagement in coping with occupational uncertainty (e.g., perceptions of growing difficulties in career planning and lacking job opportunities) predicts three objective career-related outcomes: job loss, job finding, and income change. We also tested for the buffering effects of these coping strategies on the association between objectively unfavorable labor market conditions (as indicated by regional unemployment rates) and these outcomes. We used four-wave survey data from a longitudinal sample of 620 German adults aged 16–43 years at the first wave and analyzed changes in the three career-related outcomes across 1294 pairs of successive annual waves. Analyses revealed that goal engagement predicted a higher chance of job finding over one year. Moreover, goal engagement buffered the association between higher regional unemployment rates and a higher likelihood of job loss, as well as a lower income, over one year. Goal disengagement predicted a lower income but had no other statistically significant effects. Thus, even in a relatively highly regulated labor market like the German one, goal engagement in coping with occupational uncertainty can contribute to objective career success.
We investigated how general social support from family, friends and acquaintances, and community ... more We investigated how general social support from family, friends and acquaintances, and community predicted intentions for civic (e.g. volunteering) and political (e.g. petitioning) participation via the constructs specified in the theory of planned behaviour. Participants were young adults living in the former East Germany, a post-communist region, who were surveyed by telephone in 2010 (Ncivic = 695, Npolitical = 694). Civic participation was perceived more favourably than political participation. Supportive family predicted intentions for civic participation; supportive community services predicted both types of intentions; and supportive friends and acquaintances had no significant effects. The mediating variables were subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, but not attitudes. All effects were controlled for sociodemographic variables, richness of the social network, and past experience of civic and political participation. Findings underscore the role of supportive community in fostering both civic and political participation.
A typological approach to civic participation and nonparticipation may be useful to develop targe... more A typological approach to civic participation and nonparticipation may be useful to develop targeted recruitment or intervention strategies. We applied the behavior change framework, which distinguishes between preintenders, intenders, and actors, to civic participation. Using a sample of 695 individuals (aged 20–40) surveyed in 2010 in two of the new federal states of Germany, we conducted latent profile analysis on three continuous indicators of civic participation (factual participation, perceived behavioral control, and future intention). Five profiles emerged: the Staunch Abstainers, the Indifferent Abstainers, the Somewhat Committed, the Aspiring, and the Highly Committed. The profiles significantly differed in socioeconomic status (SES) but not in age, gender, employment, or family status. Moreover, a higher SES was not always associated with higher civic participation, and different SES indicators appeared to play different roles. We discuss ways to foster civic participation in each group.
It is widely believed that warm and supportive parenting fosters all kinds of prosocial behaviors... more It is widely believed that warm and supportive parenting fosters all kinds of prosocial behaviors in the offspring, including civic engagement. However, accumulating international evidence suggests that the effects of family support on civic engagement may sometimes be negative. To address this apparent controversy, we identified several scenarios for the negative effects of supportive parenting on youth civic engagement and tested them using four waves of data from the Finnish Educational Transitions Studies. They followed 1549 students (55 % female) from late adolescence into young adulthood, included both maternal (n = 231) and offspring reports of parental support, and assessed civic engagement in young adulthood. Control variables included socioeconomic status, other sociodemographic indicators, church belonging, personality traits, and earlier civic engagement. Higher maternal warmth and support and a stronger identification with the parental family in adolescence predicted offspring's lower political activism up to 10 years later. Perceived parental support in young adulthood predicted lower volunteering 2 years later. There were no significant effects on general organizational involvement (e.g., in student and hobby associations). None of the a priori scenarios that we identified from the literature appeared to explain the pattern of results satisfactorily. We put forth cultural and life stage explanations of our findings.
Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using ... more Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using data on German adults aged 56 to 75 (N = 1,468), the authors investigated perceived level of activation demands (e.g., increased expectations that the young-old will contribute to the public good) and appraisal of them as threatening or challenging by individuals with different health status and socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, perceived level of demands was moderately high, and they were seen rather as a challenge. East Germans, those with better subjective health, and those unemployed reported a higher level of activation demands, whereas retired and widowed individuals reported a lower level. Moreover, East Germans, individuals with lower educational attainment, and those reporting health problems (but not physically handicapped individuals) experienced these demands more as a threat and less as a challenge. The authors argue that more targeted policy strategies are needed to promote active ageing in disadvantaged groups.
Common wisdom suggests that individuals confronted with occupational uncertainty (e.g., job insec... more Common wisdom suggests that individuals confronted with occupational uncertainty (e.g., job insecurity and difficulties with career planning) may withdraw from volunteering. We argue that volunteering may be useful to workers in some career stages and that stage-appropriate coping with occupational uncertainty may increase individuals’ readiness to volunteer. In Study 1, we used cross-sectional and 1-year follow-up data from Germany that covered three age groups: 16–29 (NT1 = 1,253, NT2 = 224), 30–43 (NT1 = 1,560, NT2 = 371), and 56–75 (NT1 = 518, NT2 = 215). High engagement and low disengagement in coping with occupational uncertainty were associated with concurrent volunteering in the youngest group but not in the other groups. Over 1 year, high disengagement reduced the likelihood of starting volunteering in the youngest group and increased this likelihood in the oldest group. Study 2 used an independent, cross-sectional German sample that included two age groups: 20–29 (N = 326) and 30–40 (N = 367). Using a different measure of volunteering, Study 2 partly replicated the cross-sectional findings from Study 1. Results suggest that individual agency is a decisive link between occupational uncertainty and the readiness to volunteer, particularly among young labor market entrants.
Social participation has been hypothesised to have both positive and negative impact on health ou... more Social participation has been hypothesised to have both positive and negative impact on health outcomes via a variety of pathways, but previous studies have found few significant effects of social participation, and there is a lack of research from post-communist societies, which are known to be low on social capital. Using cross-sectional data from Poland on 2970 individuals surveyed in 2009, we investigated the individual-level relationships between formal and informal social participation, emotional well-being, and risky alcohol consumption while controlling for demographic variables, socioeconomic status, employment and partnership status, health, religiosity, and generalised trust. Frequent joint activities with friends and neighbours were related to higher positive affect but also to more risky alcohol consumption. Membership in voluntary organisations was associated with more risky alcohol consumption, especially among younger males and for certain types of organisations. In contrast, volunteer work was related to higher positive affect and fewer depressive symptoms in the whole sample and to less risky alcohol consumption among the younger participants. The findings illustrate that some types of social participation, even if they are not typical of a given context (e.g., volunteering in Poland), may be more beneficial than others.
Objective. We investigated the relationship between dispositional optimism and coping with growin... more Objective. We investigated the relationship between dispositional optimism and coping with growing occupational uncertainty, drawing on the lifespan theory of control to assess coping.
Method. Participants were 606 German adults with various sociodemographic backgrounds, aged 16–43. They were interviewed at the end of 2005 (Time 1) and at the beginning of 2007 (Time 2). We regressed each control strategy at Time 2 on its scores at Time 1, optimism at Time 1, three moderating variables, and their interactions with optimism.
Results. Dispositional optimism predicted an increase in both goal engagement strategies (selective primary and compensatory primary control) only under favourable conditions (low regional unemployment rate, low perceived growth in occupational uncertainty, and high perceived controllability of this stressor). Specific conditions moderating the effects of optimism differed between the two engagement strategies. In addition, an unfavourable labour market situation as such prompted an increase in goal engagement. No effects of optimism on goal disengagement (compensatory secondary control) at Time 2 were found.
Conclusions. The effects of dispositional optimism on the change in control strategies were contingent on the labour market situation, which supports the view that optimists are better able to tailor their coping responses to available opportunities.
The negative impact of unemployment on subjective well-being (SWB) is well known, but the role of... more The negative impact of unemployment on subjective well-being (SWB) is well known, but the role of age in this relationship remains unclear. We suggest that cumulative advantage (or disadvantage) associated with the duration of current employment status may produce an age-related divergence in SWB between employed and unemployed individuals. We used cross-sectional data on employed (n = 1382) and unemployed (n = 254) Germans (age 18–42) surveyed in 2005. We found that, among currently employed individuals, relatively older age predicted longer employment duration (tenure), which was related to higher SWB via higher income and higher perceived occupational security. Among currently unemployed individuals, age predicted longer unemployment duration, which was associated with lower SWB via lower perceived social support. Thus, age was indirectly related to higher SWB in employed individuals and to lower SWB in unemployed individuals. In this way, cumulative advantage of long-term employment and cumulative disadvantage of long-term unemployment contributed to the age-related divergence in SWB between employed and unemployed Germans already in the first half of working life.
The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2012
"Objectives. We tested whether formal volunteering, in terms of its associations with mental heal... more "Objectives. We tested whether formal volunteering, in terms of its associations with mental health, compensates for the absence of major work and family roles among older adults or rather complements such roles among both younger and older adults.
Method. Two cross-sectional samples of younger (aged 18–42 years, N = 2,346) and older (aged 56–75 years, N = 1,422) German adults were used. We regressed mental health indicators on control variables, 2 indicators of formal volunteering (participation in voluntary organizations and volunteer work), and their interactions with employment/partnership status.
Results. Participation in voluntary organizations was associated with higher positive affect, higher life satisfaction, and fewer depressive symptoms in younger adults. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction only among working individuals, although the difference from nonworking individuals was not significant. Volunteer work was associated with higher positive affect in both age groups. In younger adults, it had no relation to life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction among nonworking individuals and to fewer depressive symptoms among those without a steady partner.
Discussion. Volunteer work but not participation in voluntary organizations yielded compensatory effects on mental health among older adults."
Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using ... more Demographic change and the call for active ageing impose new demands on older individuals. Using data on German adults aged 56–75 (N = 1468), we investigated perceived level of activation demands (e.g., increased expectations that the young old will contribute to the public good) and appraisal of them as threatening or challenging by individuals with different health status and socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, perceived level of demands was moderately high, and they were seen rather as a challenge. East Germans, those with better subjective health, and those unemployed reported a higher level of activation demands whereas retired and widowed individuals reported a lower level. Moreover, East Germans, individuals with lower educational attainment, and those reporting health problems (but not physically handicapped individuals) experienced these demands more as a threat and less as a challenge. We argue that more targeted policy strategies are needed to promote active ageing in disadvantaged groups.
Keywords: social change, activation, young-old, life course, societal expectations"
Drawing on two nationally representative German studies (N1 = 1744, N2 = 759), we examined correl... more Drawing on two nationally representative German studies (N1 = 1744, N2 = 759), we examined correlates of early, on-time, and late curfew autonomy, a retrospective indicator of behavioural autonomy, in young and middle adulthood (19–37 years of age). Adjustment in four domains was considered: educational attainment, externalizing problem behaviour, subjective well-being, and interpersonal relationships. The early group showed lower adjustment in multiple domains across young and middle adulthood. The late group reported a mixed pattern of adjustment at younger ages (lower externalizing problems, but lower positive affect, lower importance of peers, and lower likelihood to have a partner) and positive adjustment in all domains at older ages. Timing effects were controlled for sociodemographic characteristics and retrospective measures of early adversities, pubertal timing, disclosure to parents, and peer group affiliation in adolescence. Findings show that late behavioural autonomy in its correlates is not simply the opposite of early behavioural autonomy.
Keywords: Adolescent development; Young and middle adulthood; Behavioural autonomy; Developmental timing; Early and late transitions
Youth development occurs in multiple contexts, which are affected by macro-level social processes... more Youth development occurs in multiple contexts, which are affected by macro-level social processes that change opportunities and constraints for the attainment of various developmental tasks. In this paper, we review some of the transformations that central developmental contexts of adolescence undergo under conditions of recent global social and economic change. We then argue that interindividual differences in the way adolescents perceive and appraise such transformations are the key to understanding their effects on individual development. The relevant theoretical framework is provided by the Jena Model of Social Change and Human Development, which helps to trace the cascading effects of social and economic change from the macro- to the micro-level.
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Papers by Maria Pavlova
Method. Participants were 606 German adults with various sociodemographic backgrounds, aged 16–43. They were interviewed at the end of 2005 (Time 1) and at the beginning of 2007 (Time 2). We regressed each control strategy at Time 2 on its scores at Time 1, optimism at Time 1, three moderating variables, and their interactions with optimism.
Results. Dispositional optimism predicted an increase in both goal engagement strategies (selective primary and compensatory primary control) only under favourable conditions (low regional unemployment rate, low perceived growth in occupational uncertainty, and high perceived controllability of this stressor). Specific conditions moderating the effects of optimism differed between the two engagement strategies. In addition, an unfavourable labour market situation as such prompted an increase in goal engagement. No effects of optimism on goal disengagement (compensatory secondary control) at Time 2 were found.
Conclusions. The effects of dispositional optimism on the change in control strategies were contingent on the labour market situation, which supports the view that optimists are better able to tailor their coping responses to available opportunities.
Method. Two cross-sectional samples of younger (aged 18–42 years, N = 2,346) and older (aged 56–75 years, N = 1,422) German adults were used. We regressed mental health indicators on control variables, 2 indicators of formal volunteering (participation in voluntary organizations and volunteer work), and their interactions with employment/partnership status.
Results. Participation in voluntary organizations was associated with higher positive affect, higher life satisfaction, and fewer depressive symptoms in younger adults. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction only among working individuals, although the difference from nonworking individuals was not significant. Volunteer work was associated with higher positive affect in both age groups. In younger adults, it had no relation to life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction among nonworking individuals and to fewer depressive symptoms among those without a steady partner.
Discussion. Volunteer work but not participation in voluntary organizations yielded compensatory effects on mental health among older adults."
Keywords: social change, activation, young-old, life course, societal expectations"
Keywords: Adolescent development; Young and middle adulthood; Behavioural autonomy; Developmental timing; Early and late transitions
Method. Participants were 606 German adults with various sociodemographic backgrounds, aged 16–43. They were interviewed at the end of 2005 (Time 1) and at the beginning of 2007 (Time 2). We regressed each control strategy at Time 2 on its scores at Time 1, optimism at Time 1, three moderating variables, and their interactions with optimism.
Results. Dispositional optimism predicted an increase in both goal engagement strategies (selective primary and compensatory primary control) only under favourable conditions (low regional unemployment rate, low perceived growth in occupational uncertainty, and high perceived controllability of this stressor). Specific conditions moderating the effects of optimism differed between the two engagement strategies. In addition, an unfavourable labour market situation as such prompted an increase in goal engagement. No effects of optimism on goal disengagement (compensatory secondary control) at Time 2 were found.
Conclusions. The effects of dispositional optimism on the change in control strategies were contingent on the labour market situation, which supports the view that optimists are better able to tailor their coping responses to available opportunities.
Method. Two cross-sectional samples of younger (aged 18–42 years, N = 2,346) and older (aged 56–75 years, N = 1,422) German adults were used. We regressed mental health indicators on control variables, 2 indicators of formal volunteering (participation in voluntary organizations and volunteer work), and their interactions with employment/partnership status.
Results. Participation in voluntary organizations was associated with higher positive affect, higher life satisfaction, and fewer depressive symptoms in younger adults. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction only among working individuals, although the difference from nonworking individuals was not significant. Volunteer work was associated with higher positive affect in both age groups. In younger adults, it had no relation to life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction among nonworking individuals and to fewer depressive symptoms among those without a steady partner.
Discussion. Volunteer work but not participation in voluntary organizations yielded compensatory effects on mental health among older adults."
Keywords: social change, activation, young-old, life course, societal expectations"
Keywords: Adolescent development; Young and middle adulthood; Behavioural autonomy; Developmental timing; Early and late transitions