Research Project Occupations in Germany: Social Perception and Personality Traits

Subproject 1: Perception of occupations

For many occupations practiced in Germany today, it is not known how they are perceived by society. One project goal is therefore to develop scales (including an occupational prestige scale) that reflect the attractiveness of occupations based on the German Classification of Occupations 2010 (Klassifikation der Berufe 2010). Furthermore, the aim is to explain the different attractiveness of occupations and to investigate the extent to which society's perception of occupations corresponds to occupational reality (do systematically biased occupational images exist?). Further work deals with the reputation of inactive persons and educational qualifications.

Subproject 2: Personality traits and employment

So far, little research has been done on the relationship between personality traits such as risk-taking, occupational self-efficacy, or openness to experience with specific occupations or job tasks, or on the contribution of these traits to occupational success. In a project funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation, we are also investigating the prevalence, causes and consequences of work addiction.