Part-Time Work and Occupational Value Formation in Adolescence

This study examines the interrelations of work experiences and occupational values in a panel of 1,000 ninth-graders followed over a four-year period. Neither employment itself nor hours of work had substantial effects on occupational value formation. However, the opportunity to learn useful skills at work was a consistent positive influence on increasingly stable intrinsic and extrinsic value dimensions. We conclude that the central finding of research on work and adult psychological functioning — that the conditions of work are what matter — can be generalized to adolescents.