Patterns of positive and negative work reflection during leisure time: A latent profile analysis

J Occup Health Psychol. 2019 Oct;24(5):527-542. doi: 10.1037/ocp0000142. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Abstract

This study examined positive and negative work reflection during leisure time from a person-centered perspective using latent profile analysis. First, we examined whether quantitatively and qualitatively different work reflection profiles exist. Second, we investigated whether persons with different work reflection profiles differ in energetic well-being (i.e., exhaustion and vigor). We collected data from 1,036 young employees who answered 3 surveys with a time lag of 3 months each. We established the profile solution at the first measurement point and tested for differences in well-being at the second and third measurement point. We identified 6 work reflection profiles with 2 profiles displaying unbalanced levels of positive and negative work reflection (positive reflectors and negative reflectors) and 4 profiles displaying balanced levels of positive and negative work reflection (nonreflectors, low reflectors, moderate reflectors, and high reflectors). Analyses showed that persons differed significantly in energetic well-being depending on profile membership, with positive reflectors experiencing the highest well-being and negative reflectors experiencing the lowest well-being. Persons with balanced reflection profiles did not differ from one another in well-being. Our results provide new insights into the interplay of positive and negative work reflection during leisure time and its associations with employee well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Employment
  • Fatigue / psychology*
  • Female
  • Germany
  • Humans
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Latent Class Analysis
  • Leisure Activities / psychology*
  • Male
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Thinking
  • Work / psychology*
  • Young Adult