1. Maddison Miles & David E. Szwedo James Madison University
Moderators of Longitudinal Associations between Anxiety and Future Career Satisfaction
Maddison Miles & David E. Szwedo James Madison University
Measures
Anxiety (age 21) Assessed using the state-trait anxiety inventory, a self-report measure of stable individual differences in anxiety proneness
Career Satisfaction (age 27) Assessed using a self-report measure of general satisfaction with career and the extent to which the employee has made satisfactory progress toward goals for income level, advancement and skill development
Functional Independence (age 24) Assessed using the Young Adult Adjustment Scale, a measure of the teen’s functioning based on the teen’s best friend’s views of the teen’s ability to be responsible and their financial independence
Autonomy and Relatedness (age 13) Assessed using the Autonomy & Relatedness Observational Coding Scheme during an 8 minute interaction between the teen and the mom or friend discussing an issue they disagreed on, such as money, grades, household rules, friends, and siblings
Introduction
Anxiety can be a huge deterrent of career satisfaction. Employees with SAD and MDD were more impaired in the workplace than other individuals in the general population as well as being more than twice as likely to be unemployed (Moitra et al., 2011). With high rates of unemployment and impairment in the workplace, it is likely that those with SAD would be less satisfied in their careers. It’s also possible that it’s harder for these people to interact with coworkers, bosses, and customers, and therefore they’re unable to enjoy their work as much as they would if they weren’t socially anxious.
Peer and parental attachment also play a crucial role in development of independence and exploration of future career paths. While peer relationships, peer relatedness, and attachment to mothers are all significant predictors of environment exploration and budding independence and career commitment, peer relatedness variables were the strongest predictors over maternal attachment, while paternal attachment was not significant at all (Felsman & Blustein, 1999).
The purpose of this study is to examine the damaging link between anxiety and future career satisfaction. This study will examine types of moderators that help diminish the effect of anxiety on career satisfaction, such as functional independence.
Figure 1. Regression showing that individuals with higher anxiety at age 21 are less likely to be satisfied with their careers at age 27.
Results
Correlations between primary variables are presented in Table 1 below. Correlations suggested a negative association between anxiety and career satisfaction, and a positive association between functional independence and career satisfaction. Notably, there was no correlation between anxiety and functional independence.
Regression equations examined anxiety and functional independence, as well as their interaction, as predictors of career satisfaction (see Figures 1-3). Analyses controlled for participant gender and family income. Number of observations for regression equations ranged from 101 to 151.
Additional analyses sought to determine early adolescent predictors of functional independence but did not reveal any significant findings with mothers’ positive autonomy and relatedness behaviors. Significant effects were found with the best friends’ positive autonomy and relatedness behavior, as shown in Figure 4.
Figures 2 & 3. Interaction between anxiety and functional independence predicting career satisfaction. The pattern of results suggests that functional independence appears to buffer against anxiety such that highly-anxious individuals who are able to achieve functional independence are more likely to experience greater career satisfaction (relative to less independent but anxious individuals).
Hypotheses
Individuals who are more anxious will report lower future career satisfaction during early adulthood.
Greater functional independence in early adulthood will predict higher future career satisfaction.
Functional independence will moderate the association between anxiety and career satisfaction such that anxious individuals who are more functionally independent will report greater career satisfaction as compared to individuals who are less functionally-independent.
Functional independence will be predicted by parent and peer autonomy and relatedness behaviors in early adolescence, suggesting potential pathways to such independence in adulthood.
Table 1. Univariate statistics and intercorrelations between primary constructs
Mean (SD) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1. Income
43,618 (22,420) -
2. Gender
47% male
-0.11
3. Youth Pos A/R to
Friend (13)
2.38 (0.68)
0.29***
-0.06
4. Friend Pos A/R to
Youth (13)
2.36 (0.65)
0.73***
5. Mom Pos A/R to
2.49 (0.41)
0.37***
-0.1
0.28**
0.19
6. Youth Pos A/R to
Mom (13)
1.84 (0.53)
0.36***
-0.03
0.25**
0.32***
0.41***
7. Trait Anxiety (21)
36.8
(9.79)
0.12
-0.00
0.08
0.05
-0.01
8. Functional
Independence (24)
20.2
(4.47)
-0.07
0.35***
0.31***
0.11
0.04
-0.09
9. Career
Satisfaction (27)
17.8
(5.70)
0.02
0.14
-0.22**
0.22*
Figure 4. Regressions predicting functional independence from mother and best friend autonomy and relatedness behavior in early adolescence. Best friends’ (and not teens’) positive A/R behavior predicted functional independence in early adulthood. There were no effects of positive A/R behavior from interactions with mothers.
Discussion
Method
Adolescents with low anxiety will have higher career satisfaction later on in life than adolescents with high anxiety.
Adolescents with high anxiety may experience greater career satisfaction in the future if they are also highly functionally independent.
Although it was predicted that both mother and peer positive autonomy and relatedness would predict high functional independence, only the peer variable significantly predicted functional independence in the future. These results show the importance of forming positive peer relationships that model autonomy early on in adolescence as a form of attachment that can help young adults become independent, and therefore have a more satisfying career even when facing challenges such as high anxiety.
Participants
N = 184
Gender Race/ethnicity Income
86 males Caucasian Median = $40,000 - $59,000
98 females African American
24 Mixed/Other

2. Mean (SD) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1. Income
43,618 (22,420) -
2. Gender
47% male
-0.11
3. Youth Pos A/R to
Friend (13)
2.38 (0.68)
0.29***
-0.06
4. Friend Pos A/R to
Youth (13)
2.36 (0.65)
0.73***
5. Mom Pos A/R to
2.49 (0.41)
0.37***
-0.1
0.28**
0.19
6. Youth Pos A/R to
Mom (13)
1.84 (0.53)
0.36***
-0.03
0.25**
0.32***
0.41***
7. Trait Anxiety (21)
36.8
(9.79)
0.12
-0.00
0.08
0.05
-0.01
8. Friend Functional
Independence to
Youth (24)
20.2
(4.47)
-0.07
0.35***
0.31***
0.11
0.04
-0.09
9. Career
Satisfaction (27)
17.8
(5.70)
0.02
0.14
-0.22**
0.22*

3. -0.22**
Anxiety (21)
Career Satisfaction (27)
Gender
Income

4. Career Satisfaction (27) Functional Independence (24)
Anxiety (21)
-0.20*
0.22*
Career Satisfaction (27)
Functional Independence (24)
0.19*
Anxiety (21) x Functional Independence (24)
Gender
Income

5. With Mom
With Best Friend
Youth Pos A/R with Mom (13)
Youth Pos A/R with Friend (13)
Functional
Independence (24)
Functional
Independence (24)
0.26*
Mom Pos A/R with Youth (13)
Friend Pos A/R with Youth (13)
Gender
Gender
Income
Income