Preparing students to deal with ‘reality shock’ in the workplace
2026-03-04
(Press-News.org)
A new study from Hiroshima University showed that, among university students just entering the workforce, those with optimism about the future better manage 'reality shock' through formation of an career-related identity.
‘Reality shock’ is a widely recognized psychological phenomenon in which new graduates become distressed upon entering the workplace and finding that the reality of working life doesn’t match their expectations. This can lead to disappointment, confusion, depression, and anxiety, and can lower employment retention rates.
A new study from Hiroshima University sought to clarify the relationship between pre-employment career resilience – a set of skills that include the ability to cope with challenges, social skills, interest in novelty, and optimism about the future – and the experience of reality shock. In addition, this study also considered the role of job crafting as a coping behavior against reality shock. 'Job crafting' refers to the physical and cognitive changes people make to their work tasks or relationships. The study examined whether, for workers facing reality shock, pre-employment career resilience might promote a job crafting, which could help them form a stronger sense of vocational identity.
The study was published in Sage Open on December 16, 2025.
The current study had two aims. Aim 1 was to clarify the relationship between the degree of pre-employment career resilience and the experience of reality shock after entering companies. Aim 2 was to examine a causal model in which, when new workers face reality shock, career resilience possessed before employment promotes job crafting, resulting in vocational (career-related) identity formation. Surveys were conducted three times. The first survey measured career resilience and vocational identity before employment, and the second survey measured job crafting, career resilience, vocational identity, and reality shock after employment. The third survey asked individuals who experienced reality shock about components of job crafting that were effective in vocational identity formation.
The first and second surveys obtained usable data from 133 people, among them 36 men and 97 women, with a mean age of 22. The third survey collected usable data from 27 participants, 8 men and 19 women.
The study produced surprising results. No difference in pre-employment career resilience could be seen between participants with and without reality shock (Aim 1). The results showed that optimism about the future, a component of pre-employment career resilience, played a role in forming vocational identity through cognitive crafting (Aim 2).
“The results revealed that among pre-employment career resilience traits, individuals exhibiting particularly high levels of 'optimism about the future' were more likely to adopt effective coping strategies when confronted with reality shock,” explained author Makiko Kodama, a professor at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hiroshima University. “Consequently, they demonstrated greater professional growth.”
The study recommends university-level programs to promote career resilience before students enter the workplace.
“Identifying the psychological traits useful for coping with reality shock—an adaptive challenge faced immediately upon joining a company—enables the cultivation of these traits prior to employment,” said Kodama. “This, in turn, could prevent issues such as resignations arising from reality shock before they occur.”
###
About Hiroshima University
Since its foundation in 1949, Hiroshima University has striven to become one of the most prominent and comprehensive universities in Japan for the promotion and development of scholarship and education. Consisting of 12 schools for undergraduate level and 5 graduate schools, ranging from natural sciences to humanities and social sciences, the university has grown into one of the most distinguished comprehensive research universities in Japan. English website: https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2026-03-04
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University researchers have developed a 3D-printed model of the left side of the heart that contracts and beats, offering the chance for surgeons and medical students to rehearse important heart surgeries on a model that acts like the real thing.
The WSU researchers, in fact, did a valve repair on their heart model, using ultrasound imaging and customized sensors attached to the model to show a successful repair. They report on their work in the journal, Advanced Materials Technologies.
“It’s very useful for doctors and surgeons to practice when the heart is still beating, ...
2026-03-04
People and animals create lots of waste that is usually sent to landfills, incinerated or stored in engineered ponds such as manure lagoons. Now, researchers publishing in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters report a potential removal method using insects, specifically black soldier fly larvae. In experiments, the larvae ate spoiled food, sewage sludge or livestock manure, and removed most human-pathogenic viruses. The researchers say this demonstrates a step toward simple, environmentally friendly waste management.
"Viruses ...
2026-03-04
Miami (March 4, 2026) – Medication nonadherence among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a result of affordability and lack of knowledge about medications, among other factors, and leads to increased exacerbations and faster lung function decline, according to two new studies. The studies are published in the January 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.
COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, affects more than 30 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It can be caused by genetics and irritants ...
2026-03-04
Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gums, affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is increasingly linked to systemic disorders beyond the oral cavity. Epidemiological studies have long suggested an association between periodontitis and osteoporosis, particularly in postmenopausal women, yet the biological mechanisms connecting these conditions have remained unclear. Growing evidence indicates that microbial communities play a central role in regulating immune responses and metabolism across distant organs, raising the possibility that oral microbes ...
2026-03-04
Mitochondria, also known as the powerhouses of the cell, are essential for cell survival, repair, and adaptation. Not only do they generate most of the energy needed during a cell’s life, but they also regulate cell death, calcium balance, and responses to stress. When mitochondria fail, which is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases and many inflammatory and metabolic disorders, cells lose their ability to meet energy demands and maintain internal stability. To tackle such problems, researchers are currently exploring therapies that aim to directly ...
2026-03-04
Capitalising on greater climate change, nature and sustainability education in the national curriculum will need a detailed programme of support to make the changes a reality, according to a new report published today (Wednesday, 4 March).
The report, produced following discussions with more than 40 professional bodies and teaching organisations, sets out ten priority areas for improving climate education following the government's Curriculum and Assessment Review.
The experts argue that while the curriculum review is a welcome step, real change will require coordinated support across the whole education system. It also urges ...
2026-03-04
A global, interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Ludmil Alexandrov, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular medicine and bioengineering at the University of California San Diego, has been selected to receive a Cancer Grand Challenges award of up to $25 million over approximately five years to reveal the underlying mechanisms of mutational signatures, unique patterns of DNA damage caused by environmental exposures or natural cellular processes. By understanding the underlying causes of these signatures, Team CAUSE, which brings together experts from the U.S., the Netherlands ...
2026-03-04
A new study suggests that decades of reported gains in crop yields from plant breeding may be significantly overstated, challenging a common method used worldwide to measure genetic progress.
The international research team includes five University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists. Researchers examined long-term trends in wheat improvement, finding that the standard, decades-old approach — growing older and newer wheat varieties side by side and comparing their yields — cannot clearly separate two different types of breeding gains: increases in inherent yield potential and ongoing “maintenance breeding” that keeps varieties adapted ...
2026-03-04
Cerebral palsy is a condition usually caused by brain damage before or during birth, resulting in impaired posture and movement. Early symptoms are typically subtle, which may delay diagnosis until more obvious signs appear as the child grows.
Recent animal studies show that stem cell therapy may help restore neurological function when initiated in the acute or subacute phase, typically within a few weeks after birth. While some clinical research suggests possible benefits even in later stages, confirmatory clinical trials have not yet been published.
Now, a Japanese ...
2026-03-04
Crystals have repeatedly been found at archaeological sites alongside Homo remains. Evidence shows hominins have been collecting these stones for as long as 780,000 years. Yet, we know that our ancestors did not use them as weapons, tools, or even jewelry. So why did they collect them at all?
Now, in a new Frontiers in Psychology study, scientists in Spain investigated which characteristics of crystals may have made them so fascinating to our ancestors. They designed experiments with chimpanzees – one of the two great ape species most closely related to modern humans – to identify the physical properties ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Preparing students to deal with ‘reality shock’ in the workplace
