READINESS TO CHANGE IN EAST AND WEST-GERM ANY

Readiness to change (RD) is of high importance, particularly in East G ermany. Five hypotheses are examined. (1) RD is functional for initiat ive, for more precise plans for the future and more active action stra tegies. (2) RD is to be interpreted as a stable personality trait. Alt ernative hypotheses are that RD (3) reflects resistance to change, (4) is incluenced by perceived necessities to change or (5) by resources. Within a longitudinal study (N = 463 to 53 3) in East Germany and a c omparison sample in the West (N = 160) the following results appeared: Two different kinds of RD are to be differentiated - one towards work and one towards the job. The first one shows a high functionality in the sense of the first hypothesis. Both are stable personality traits that do not change much at all. There is little evidence for resistanc e to change. Although RD does not change much in the passage of time, decreases and increases of readiness to change the job are influenced by the necessities to change and readiness to change within work is in fluenced by the resources that exist in work.