Individuals Negotiating Demands of Social and Economic Change

We investigated how individuals negotiated demands of social change in the domains of work and family life in terms of primary and secondary control strategies of goal engagement and disengagement. A sample of N = 2,153 adults from East and West Germany was interviewed on demands they experienced, related primary and secondary control strategies, occupational and relationship status, and primary and secondary appraisals of demands. Results show little specific variance in the control strategies between the domain of work and the domain of family and a general preference for goal engagement over goal disengagement in dealing with demands of social change. Participants outside the labor market and singles reported relatively less engagement and more disengagement strategies. More favorable primary and secondary appraisals were associated with more engagement and less disengagement whereas a higher load of demands of social change predicted all control strategies in a positive way.