Demands-Abilities Fit and Psychological Strain: Moderating Effects of Personality.

We proposed that (a) Demands-Abilities fit (D-A fit) would be related to psychological strain (anxiety and depression), and (b) personality characteristics (optimism, internal locus of control, and general self-efficacy) would moderate this relationship. Two dimensions, quantitative workload and job complexity, were examined regarding D-A fit. The hypotheses were tested in a sample of 289 workers of South Korean companies in the United States. There were significant relationships between D-A fit and psychological strain and a few significant moderating effects of personality. Optimism, internal locus of control, and general self-efficacy moderated the relationship between job complexity D-A difference and depression. Personality also interacted with ability in explaining psychological strain. Implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]