Scarcity mindset among schoolteachers: how resource scarcity negatively impacts teachers' cognition and behaviors

Leif Denti; Erik Sturén; Lars-Olof Johansson

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1333735

Scarcity mindset among schoolteachers: how resource scarcity negatively impacts teachers' cognition and behaviors

Front Psychol. 2024 Jan 15:14:1333735. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1333735. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Leif Denti¹, Erik Sturén¹, Lars-Olof Johansson¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

A recent line of research investigates the negative cognitive effects - known as the scarcity mindset - that arise when people face a lack of resources. We expand on this research and show that these cognitive effects are present among Swedish schoolteachers facing a scarcity of time and social resources at work. From an initial interview study we developed novel survey scales to measure teachers' subjective assessments of available resources and the extent of their scarcity mindset. We then related resource scarcity of time and social resources to the scarcity mindset using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis in a survey study with a sample of Swedish schoolteachers. This research provides valuable insights for addressing resource constrained work environments in schools and contributes to the broader psychological research on cognitive effects resulting from resource scarcity.

Keywords: cognitive effects; resource scarcity; scarcity mindset; schoolteachers; structural equation modeling; work environment.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by FORTE, The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, under Grant 2017–01336.