Ricerc@Sapienza

The aim of this interdisciplinary research project is to address the individual level consequences of a societal event, namely the spreading of precarious and unstable form of work, with the aim to foster individual adjustment and to promote active job search strategies among those who have lost a job. Drawing upon a large psychological literature pointing to unemployment stress as the key individual-level consequence of job loss, we aim to clarify the psychophysiological mechanisms that, by fostering resistance to unemployment stress may foster an active job search. More in detail, we will test a mediational model hypothesizing that the relationship between unemployment stress and active job search is mediated by the impact of self and identity certainty on individuals' self-regulative psychophysiological processes. To this aim, we will gather a sample, as more representative as possible of about 300 unemployed people, who "have lost the job in the last three months". These people will take part in a three-phase study aimed to: 1) assess self and identity certainty after a job loss, 2) explore individuals' emotional and physiological functioning, 3) evaluate the individuals' recurs to active job search strategies. Results of our study will show way to improve the life of people who have lost their jobs. Thus, a first expected impact of our results is on the societal and individual costs of pathologies related to unemployment stress that are significantly associated with higher recurs to public health assistance. A second key expected impact is on helping individuals to be proactive during taxing and frustrating phases such as those following a job loss. Finally, our data will offer a key contribution to the scientific literature on the relationship between the self-system and unemployment stress related processes, and will be used to inform the so called "politiche attive del lavoro" (work related active policies).