Poster #51 - Anxiety Subtypes, Personality Characteristics, and Emotional Regulation Skills as Predictors of Future Career Outcomes

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Introduction
People who suffer from anxiety often struggle with concentration, assertiveness, and resilience, which may lead to occupational difficulties (Orenstein, Orenstein, & Carr, 1975). Indeed, large scale studies suggest that anxious individuals are less likely to experience success and satisfaction at work (Boudreau, Boswell, & Judge, 2001; Judge, Higgins, Thoresen, & Barrick, 1999). People can experience anxiety differently, as symptoms vary. Consequently, anxiety can be cognitively, physically, and/or socially debilitating. Positive personality traits such as conscientiousness and grit may serve as protective factors for anxious individuals in the workplace, as they negatively correlate with anxiety (Sheridan, Boman, Mergler, Furlong, & Elmer, 2015). Additionally, positive coping strategies such as emotion regulation and problem-focused coping skills negatively correlate with anxiety (Byrne, 2000; Ivcevic & Brackett, 2014). The purpose of the present study is to better understand how different types of anxiety affect occupational outcomes, and which types of personality traits or coping strategies may be more predictive of positive occupational outcomes for highly anxious individuals.

Method
Multi-informant longitudinal data were obtained for a community sample of 184 adolescents (86 males, 98 females) at ages 17-19, 26-27, and 27-30. The sample is demographically diverse (63% European-American, 27% African-American, and 14% mixed race or other race/ethnicities; baseline median family income was in the $40,000-$59,000 range). Trait anxiety, anxious arousal, rejection sensitivity were assessed via self-report at ages 17-19. Additionally, implicit feelings of rejection was measured using a response time task at ages 17-18. Conscientiousness, emotion regulation, and coping skills were assessed via self-report at ages 26, as well as grit at age 27. Occupational outcomes at ages 27-30 were assessed via peer-reported work performance, professional ambition, job satisfaction, and self-reported career satisfaction.

Results and Discussion
Multiple regression analyses were conducted controlling for gender and family income. Analyses suggested that anxious arousal was the only anxiety subtype to significantly predict occupational outcomes; it predicted lower job satisfaction (β = -.18, p < .05). Emotion regulation seemed to serve as a protective factor for ambition against trait anxiety (β = .23, p < .05; see Figure 1), as well as for work performance against implicit rejection sensitivity (β = .38, p < .01). Emotion regulation also seemed to serve as a protective factor for career satisfaction against anxious arousal (β = .62, p < .001; see Figure 2). Conscientiousness had a similar interaction where higher levels of conscientiousness in individuals with anxious arousal predicted higher ambition (β = .30, p < .01). Positive coping skills had main effects with ambition and work performance after controlling for each subtype of anxiety (βs = .32-.38, ps <.05 - < .01). Findings suggest that emotion regulation and conscientiousness may be particularly helpful in the context of high anxiety to promote positive career development, whereas positive coping skills may be helpful in a broader sense. In fact, it is interesting to consider the possibility that some anxiety, coupled with these traits and skills, may actually produce better work outcomes.

Authors

• Cerella M. Chandra, James Madison University
  Presenting Author

• David E. Szwedo, James Madison University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joseph Allen, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rachel Narr, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joseph Tan, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author