Patterns of job satisfaction among mentally retarded adults

This study examined the correlates of job satisfaction in a sample of 65 mentally retarded adults who had been released from a state institution nearly five years prior to the research. The sample members were divided into four groups on the basis of their job status and job mobility. In two of the groups, sample members were downwardly mobile. In the other two groups, they were either upwardly mobile or had maintained a stable employment status. It was found that the downwardly mobile sample members were much less satisfied with their jobs than were those who were not downwardly mobile. Other variables that were found to correlate with sample members' job satisfaction included the size of the work setting, the social skills and communication skills of the sample members, and the extent to which sample members were given feedback about their performance by their supervisors at work.