Work Motivation and Job Choice: The Role of Affective Forecasting

Abstract: We advance insight into the job choice process by investigating the role of affective forecasting in job choice and whether affective forecasting differs depending on individuals’ motivation for work. In two longitudinal studies with business school students (N=648), we investigate how intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation shapes affective forecasting and forecasting accuracy during summer jobs. Overall, students overestimated their happiness and job satisfaction. Moreover, motivation for work shaped affective forecasting and forecasting accuracy: extrinsic motivation was associated with both lower forecast and experienced happiness and job satisfaction and greater forecasting bias related to intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation was also associated with the belief that sacrificing happiness in the present is necessary in order to be more satisfied in the future and greater job choice regret. These findings have important implications for the role of motivation on decision making and well-being.

Keywords: affective forecasting, motivation, well-being, decision making