@techreport{CaliendoCobbClarkSilvaGoncalvesetal.2023, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Caliendo, Marco and Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. and Silva-Goncalves, Juliana and Uhlendorff, Arne}, title = {Locus of control and the preference for agency}, series = {IZA discussion paper}, volume = {No. 16061}, journal = {IZA discussion paper}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {2365-9793}, doi = {10.2139/ssrn.4416820}, pages = {49}, year = {2023}, abstract = {We conduct a laboratory experiment to study how locus of control operates through people's preferences and beliefs to influence their decisions. Using the principal-agent setting of the delegation game, we test four key channels that conceptually link locus of control to decision-making: (i) preference for agency; (ii) optimism and (iii) confidence regarding the return to effort; and (iv) illusion of control. Knowing the return and cost of stated effort, principals either retain or delegate the right to make an investment decision that generates payoffs for themselves and their agents. Extending the game to the context in which the return to stated effort is unknown allows us to explicitly study the relationship between locus of control and beliefs about the return to effort. We find that internal locus of control is linked to the preference for agency, an effect that is driven by women. We find no evidence that locus of control influences optimism and confidence about the return to stated effort, or that it operates through an illusion of control.}, language = {en} } @article{LiLiFayetal.2019, author = {Li, Wen-Dong and Li, Shuping and Fay, Doris and Frese, Michael}, title = {Reciprocal Relationships Between Dispositional Optimism and Work Experiences: A Five-Wave Longitudinal Investigation}, series = {Journal of applied psychology}, volume = {104}, journal = {Journal of applied psychology}, number = {12}, publisher = {American Psychological Association}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0021-9010}, doi = {10.1037/apl0000417}, pages = {1471 -- 1486}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Previous research on dispositional optimism has predominantly concentrated on the selection effect of dispositional optimism on predicting work outcomes. Recent research, however, has started to examine the socialization effect of life experiences on fostering dispositional optimism development. Extrapolating primarily from the TESSERA framework of personality development (Wrzus \& Roberts, 2017) and the literature on dispositional optimism, the current study represents a first attempt to reconcile the 2 seemingly contrasting perspectives. We proposed and examined change-related reciprocal relationships between dispositional optimism and work experience variables including income, job insecurity, coworker support. and supervisor support. Latent change score modeling of data from a five-wave longitudinal study demonstrated that dispositional optimism resulted in decreases in job insecurity, and the decreased job insecurity in turn promoted further increases in dispositional optimism later on. Furthermore, income gave rise to increases ill dispositional optimism at a later point in time. but not vice versa. No significant relationships were observed between dispositional optimism and coworker and supervisor support. The findings provide a cautionary note to the majority of previous research based on cross-sectional and lagged designs that assumes causal effects of dispositional optimism on work outcomes. They also showcase the importance of examining personality change in organizational research and enrich our understanding of a more nuanced dynamic interplay between the optimistic employee and the work environment.}, language = {en} } @misc{TetznerBecker2015, author = {Tetzner, Julia and Becker, Michael}, title = {How being an optimist makes a difference}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {396}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-404537}, pages = {9}, year = {2015}, abstract = {This longitudinal study of N = 1,566 adolescents investigated the protective role of optimism in adjustment to parental separation, focusing on two salient challenges faced by adolescents, namely academic achievement and self-esteem. Based on latent change models, the results indicated associations between parental separation and short-term declines in academic achievement as well as short-term and longer term declines in self-esteem. Although optimism in general showed positive associations with academic achievement and self-esteem, its role as a protective factor proved to be particularly important for academic achievement in adjustment following parental separation.}, language = {en} } @article{TetznerBecker2015, author = {Tetzner, Julia and Becker, Michael}, title = {How Being an Optimist Makes a Difference: The Protective Role of Optimism in Adolescents' Adjustment to Parental Separation}, series = {Social psychological and personality science}, volume = {6}, journal = {Social psychological and personality science}, number = {3}, publisher = {Sage Publ.}, address = {Thousand Oaks}, issn = {1948-5506}, doi = {10.1177/1948550614559605}, pages = {325 -- 333}, year = {2015}, abstract = {This longitudinal study of N = 1,566 adolescents investigated the protective role of optimism in adjustment to parental separation, focusing on two salient challenges faced by adolescents, namely academic achievement and self-esteem. Based on latent change models, the results indicated associations between parental separation and short-term declines in academic achievement as well as short-term and longer term declines in self-esteem. Although optimism in general showed positive associations with academic achievement and self-esteem, its role as a protective factor proved to be particularly important for academic achievement in adjustment following parental separation.}, language = {en} }