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The construct of opportunity for skill use (Warr, 1987) is examined, and two aspects of it are operationalized: the level of skill requirement of the job, and congruence between one's own skills and the skill requirements of the job. Associations with three measures of psychological well‐being of (1) the two aspects of opportunity for skill use; (2) rate of job and employer change since graduation; and (3) experience of unemployment since graduation, are investigated. Longitudinal data were collected from 168 university graduates during their undergraduate studies and again 5–6 years after graduation. All were in full‐time employment on the latter occasion. Contrary to prediction, skill requirements of the job predicted only one of the three aspects of well‐being, and the interaction between skill requirements and self‐rated skills (an operationalization of congruence) predicted none. Length of time in involuntary unemployment and frequency of job changing since graduation were associated with well‐being 5–6 years after graduation, though only when undergraduate well‐being was not statistically controlled. The measurement and utility of the construct of opportunity for skill use in relatively privileged samples is discussed.
John Arnold (Thu,) studied this question.