Increasing the probability of finding an interaction in work stress research: A two-wave longitudinal test of the triple-match principle

摘要

Research into work stress has attempted to identify job resources that can moderatethe effects of job demands on strain. The recently developed triple-match principle(TMP) proposes that job demands, resources, and strain can be conceptualized as beingcomposed of cognitive, emotional, and physical dimensions. When a psychologicalimbalance is induced by job demands, individuals activate corresponding resources toreduce the effects of the demands. A closer match occurs when the resources areprocessed in the same psychological domain as the demands. The further away from amatch, the less likely an interactive effect will become. Put simply, the likelihood offinding an interactive effect between job demands and job resources is greatest whendemands, resources, and strain are based on qualitatively similar dimensions (i.e.cognitive, emotional, and physical). For example, emotional support from colleagues islikely to buffer the effects of emotional demands on emotional exhaustion. The TMPwas tested in a sample of 179 Australian police officers in a two-wave longitudinal study.The likelihood of finding an interactive effect was related to the degree of matchbetween job demands, job resources, and strain with 33.3% of triple-match interactionssignificant, 22.2% when there was a double-match, and 0.0% when there was no match.These findings lend support to the TMP as a guiding framework, for research, toexplore possible interactive effects in work stress research, and for practice, to informinterventions matching resources to occupational demands, to offset strain.