Do people adjust career choices according to socioeconomic conditions?: an evolutionary analysis of future discounting
Psychol. neurosci. (Impr.)
; 6(3): 383-390, July-Dec. 2013. graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-703101
Responsible library:
BR85.1
ABSTRACT
The ability to process environmental cues and make advantageous choices has been fundamental during human evolution. Discounting future rewards is a capacity of our evolved mind and could be useful for understanding career decisions. This paper investigated the relationship between real-life plans, career choices, and income indicators based on an evolutionary approach of future discounting. Study 1 analyzed the plans of 200 senior high school students, and Study 2 analyzed a database of 46,649 applicants to a Brazilian public university. The results demonstrated that lower income subjects made career decisions with quicker returns and smaller investments. They included a job in immediate plans more frequently than higher income students who planned to go to a university. Analyzing the applicants' choices, higher income subjects sought courses with greater entrance difficulty. We suggest that individuals adjust career plans and choices according to their socioeconomic conditions and assume different discounting rates by considering risks of failure and future gains...
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Health context:
Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas
/
SDG3 - Health and Well-Being
Health problem:
Goal 11: Inequalities and inequities in health
/
Target 3.8 Achieve universal access to health
Database:
LILACS
Main subject:
Socioeconomic Factors
/
Career Choice
/
Cognitive Science
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Aspects:
Social determinants of health
/
Equity and inequality
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Psychol. neurosci. (Impr.)
Journal subject:
Neurology
/
Psychology
Year:
2013
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre/BR
/
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte/BR