From Classroom to Ballot Box: Analysing the Mediating Effect of Work Perception on Political Alienation

Zang, Nicola (2024) From Classroom to Ballot Box: Analysing the Mediating Effect of Work Perception on Political Alienation. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

In the last decades, voter turnout rates have been consistently low. This abstinence from voting is one way in which political alienation can be expressed. Past research has shown that lower levels of education lead to an increase in political alienation. This study aims to explore the mechanisms of this relationship further by proposing a mediation relationship with the work construct perceived contribution of work. This construct is made up of perceived work usefulness and perceived work pride. A mediation analysis was conducted using data from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) 2015 work wave (N = 15681) in order to investigate this. The findings indicate that higher levels of education are related to higher levels of both perceived work usefulness as well as work pride which in turn is related to vote abstinence. Therefore, these results support the hypothesis that perceived contribution of work mediates the relationship between education and political alienation. Further, they are an initial confirmation of the notion that the work context can have far-reaching societal consequences and can influence political attitudes. Keywords: political alienation, education, perceived contribution of work, perceived work usefulness, perceived work pride, social status

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Kuppens, T.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOP) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	02 Jul 2025 07:58
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2025 07:58
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5200

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