Dimensions of Work Appraisal: Stress, Strain, Coping, Job Satisfaction, and Negative Affectivity

Stress, strain, and coping were measured by S. H. Osipow and A. R. Spokane's (1987) Occupational Stress Inventory with 249 adults in 75 occupations; results supported the validity of the inventory. Higher stress predicted higher strain and lower job satisfaction; the converse was true for coping, although the coping-satisfaction link was weak. In hierarchical regression analyses, predictor variables were gender, age, education, job tenure, negative affectivity, 6 stress measures, and 4 coping measures. Outcome variables were 4 measures of occupational strain (vocational, psychological, interpersonal, and physical) and 3 measures of job satisfaction (intrinsic, extrinsic, and general). The 7 hierarchical regressions revealed strong stress-strain and stress-job satisfaction relationships; negative affectivity had variable impacts on strain but little influence on job satisfaction.