Economic indicators predict changes in college student optimism for life events Academic Article

abstract

• AbstractThis investigation explored the extent to which an economic recession predicted changes in college students' optimism about the length and quality of their futures. In a crosssectional design, college students in the United States rated their likelihood of divorcing, being unhappy in their career, and living past age 60, at time points before, during, and in the aftermath of an economic recession (20072010). Economic indicators, particularly gas prices, predicted decreased optimism as the indicators worsened. After the recession, however, optimism rebounded. The findings reveal that people's expectations for their personal futures are generally sensitive to the state of the national economy.

authors

• Lench, Heather

published proceedings

• JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

author list (cited authors)

• Lench, H. C., & Bench, S. W.

citation count

• 2

complete list of authors

• Lench, Heather C||Bench, Shane W

publication date

• November 2014

publisher

• Wiley  Publisher

published in

• Journal of Applied Social Psychology  Journal

keywords

• 52 Psychology
• 5203 Clinical And Health Psychology
• Clinical Research

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1111/jasp.12262

start page

• 717

end page

• 724

volume

• 44

issue

• 11

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12262