McLeish, Patricia K. (2021) Cognitive Flexibility as a Mediator of Neuroticism on Job Search Self Efficacy. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The labour market has been defined by continual change, with unemployment decreasing slowly over the past 40 years, however unemployment duration has gradually increased. Likewise, the number of workers classified as underemployed has also increased exponentially over the same time. Unemployment and underemployment significantly impact mental, emotional, and general health and with less stability and permanency in employment, job seekers need flexibility in their job search approach. Using the Psychology of Working Theory as a theoretical framework, the mediating effect of Cognitive Flexibility, as measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST-64), was examined in relation to Neuroticism using the Big Five Inventory 2-Short Form (BFI-2-S), and Job Search SelfEfficacy using the Behaviour (JSSE-B) and Outcome (JSSE-O) measure. This is the first study to examine all three variables together and it was hypothesised negative correlations would be observed between Neuroticism and Job Search Self-Efficacy, and Neuroticism and Cognitive Flexibility and Cognitive Flexibility would mediate the impact of Neuroticism on Job Search Self-Efficacy. Data was gathered using a snowball sampling approach, with adults 18 years and over (N = 153), who completed the online survey on electronic tablets, administered by the researchers in both South Australia and Queensland. Correlation analyses were completed, and non-significant results were found, and as such a mediation analysis was not completed. Several limitations of the research were identified and suggestions for future studies recommended to further explore this interesting field of vocational psychology.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Gavin Beccaria |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 31 Jul 2025 01:12 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Jul 2025 01:12 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cognitive flexibility ; job search self-efficacy ; neuroticism ; Psychology of Working Theory ; employment |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52568 |
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