[Effect of repetitive tasks on workers' sense of well-being in the watch industry]

In an interdisciplinary study, which was carried out in the Swiss watch industry, the influence of different job characteristics on the workers' well-being was investigated. Comparing the ergonomic, psychological and medical data of 120 women and 80 men executing tasks with restricted or enlarged degree of discretion, the following negative effects of repetitive tasks with low variety and little autonomy must be considered important: 1. pains in theeyes and headache 2. pains in the neck, the shoulder and the arms 3. increased intake of analgesics and sedatives 4. strongly experienced qualitative underload 5. a resignative tendency to accept small supplies for need fulfilment in the work situation. In both groups with a restricted degree of dicretion but also in the control group with more autonomy and variety a negative correlation could be found between length of service in job and the test score measuring information processing capacity.