Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Abstract: The consequences of economic hardship have long been an important issue for workers, employers, and policymakers alike. Its impact on the belief in hard work is of particular concern because as rewards for hard work decrease in American society, worries that disbelief in hard work could lead people to become unproductive and allow themselves to slip into poverty. Concerning this relationship, economic hardship has been shown to induce higher rates of economic pessimism as well as reduced resilience to future economic difficulties. The goals of the present analysis include establishing whether or not experiencing economic hardship impacts one’s belief in the value of hard work to future success, as well as determining whether this relationship differs based on whether one is employed or not. After analyzing the survey data, economic hardship is significantly related to belief in hard work, and employment status significantly moderates this relationship.