AFFECTIVE REACTIONS TO EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT AS A FUNCTION OF PRIOR EXPECTATIONS AND MOTIVATION

Self-esteem and depressive affect measures were obtained from 809 empl oyed and 137 unemployed young people and compared with at-school measu res taken three years earlier. Scores were analysed in relation to at- school expectations of obtaining employment and expressed importance o f getting a job. In both employed and unemployed groups, low prior exp ectations of getting a job led to a greater increase in self-esteem th an high prior expectations. Among the unemployed, those who had rated getting a job as relatively important showed a greater increase in dep ressive affect than those who had rated getting a job as relatively le ss important.