Table 1.
Numbers (percentages) of subjects with psychological attributes adjusted for age and sex by social class in childhood†
| Detail | No of subjects | Personality factors*
|
Coping styles
|
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| External locus of control | Parochialism | Neuroticism | Lack of future orientation | Active problem focusing | Depressive reaction | Avoidance | Social support seeking | Palliative reaction | Expression of emotions | Optimism | |||
| Model 1 (unadjusted)‡ | |||||||||||||
| Childhood social class: | |||||||||||||
| 1 (high) | 137 | 21 (15) | 16 (12) | 32 (23) | 37 (27) | 55 (40) | 25 (18) | 30 (22) | 49 (36) | 37 (27) | 48 (35) | 36 (26) | |
| 2 | 447 | 98 (22) | 67 (15) | 134 (30) | 152 (34) | 125 (28) | 125 (28) | 85 (19) | 134 (30) | 107 (24) | 125 (28) | 103 (23) | |
| 3 | 456 | 128 (28) | 146 (32) | 114 (25) | 151 (33) | 119 (26) | 105 (23) | 105 (23) | 100 (22) | 96 (21) | 96 (21) | 109 (24) | |
| 4 | 649 | 221 (34) | 182 (28) | 175 (27) | 240 (37) | 149 (23) | 136 (21) | 143 (22) | 149 (23) | 143 (22) | 162 (25) | 169 (26) | |
| 5 (low) | 485 | 204 (42) | 170 (35) | 165 (34) | 199 (41) | 97 (20) | 126 (26) | 136 (28) | 102 (21) | 112 (23) | 126 (26) | 107 (22) | |
| Model 2 (adjusted for adult social class)§ | |||||||||||||
| Childhood social class: | |||||||||||||
| 1 (high) | 137 | 23 (17) | 30 (22) | 36 (26) | 29 (21) | 53 (39) | 22 (16) | 40 (29) | 51 (37) | 30 (22) | 45 (33) | 45 (33) | |
| 2 | 447 | 107 (24) | 103 (23) | 152 (34) | 121 (27) | 130 (29) | 112 (25) | 112 (25) | 139 (31) | 89 (20) | 121 (27) | 130 (29) | |
| 3 | 456 | 114 (25) | 192 (42) | 119 (26) | 109 (24) | 132 (29) | 91 (20) | 123 (27) | 109 (24) | 78 (17) | 91 (20) | 132 (29) | |
| 4 | 649 | 182 (28) | 227 (35) | 182 (28) | 169 (26) | 175 (27) | 117 (18) | 169 (26) | 169 (26) | 117 (18) | 162 (25) | 201 (31) | |
| 5 (low) | 485 | 165 (34) | 194 (40) | 170 (35) | 136 (28) | 121 (25) | 107 (22) | 155 (32) | 116 (24) | 87 (18) | 126 (26) | 126 (26) | |
*
Proportion of subjects in highest third of distribution of psychological attributes.
†
Childhood social class: (1) higher grade professionals, (2) lower grade professionals or routine non-manual workers, (3) self employed workers, (4) skilled manual workers, and (5) unskilled manual workers. Homemakers added as separate, sixth category for adult social class.
‡
P⩽0.05 for all except palliative reaction and optimism (based on overall effect of childhood social class).
§
P⩽0.05 for all except lack of future orientation, avoidance, palliative reaction, and optimism (based on overall effect of childhood social class).