Psycho-social risks and trait anxiety as predictors of stress and job satisfaction

This paper deals with the relationship between exposure to adverse psycho-social risks within the work environment, assessed by means of the DECORE Multidimensional Questionnaire (Luceño, Martín, Miguel Tobal & Jaén, 2005), employees trait anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, Gorsuch & Lushene, 1986), and perception of job stress and satisfaction. With the aim of predicting stress perception and satisfaction perception separately, a linear regression analysis was carried out, using the stepwise variable selection method. The sample consisted of 614 workers, 283 males and 327 females, from different activity sectors. Results showed that workers trait anxiety is the most important variable to predict job stress perception, followed by adverse perception of the following psycho-social risks: Cognitive Demands, Rewards and Control (R² = .356). Regarding job satisfaction perception, the most relevant variable is Organizational Support perception, followed by Trait Anxiety and the rest of psycho-social risks, in this order: Cognitive Demands, Control and Rewards (R² = 285).