The Psychological Effects of Automation: Job security and Mental Health 

Have you ever felt inadequate or less valuable in your workspace, especially with the increasing presence of automation? Have you found yourself thinking that you need to improve or adapt to keep up with the machines? As automation comes to shape industries, these feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt are becoming more common. This article discusses in detail the psychological effects of automation in job security and mental health in an individual. 

Automation is the act of using technology, robotics etc., to perform tasks in the workplace. Robots are now transforming the work nature of humans. The term automation was coined by D.S. Harder, an engineering manager. Compared to the early 1990s, the use of machines in industries has significantly increased. Initially, automation was introduced to reduce human workload, improve efficiency, and minimize errors. Ideally, it should be seen as a relief, freeing workers from monotonous tasks. However, research indicates that automation can also have negative effects on workers’ mental health.

The Positive effects of Automation 

• Machines or robots can take over tasks that are dangerous, hard and repetitive and reduce the work of humans. 
• It also reduces the time required to make a product. A study done by Castellacci and Vinas Bardolet (2019), found that highly skilled workers experience a high level of job satisfaction when they are asked to do less repetitive work. 
• Automation increases a sense of achievement with an increase in productivity.

The Negative effects of Automation 

Automation in the workplace has raised concerns about job security, leading to significant mental health impacts. Employees often feel pressured to complete tasks faster than machines, fearing that underperformance could result in job loss. This anxiety is particularly pronounced among older workers, who worry about being forced into early retirement, as well as individuals with low or average educational attainment, who face greater job insecurity. Exposure to robots in the workplace has been linked to increased burnout and workplace incivility. Additionally, automation can diminish an employee’s sense of achievement, as the gap between their effort and the machine-driven output grows, further affecting motivation and well-being.

Read More: Workplace Policies and Their Impact on Employee Mental Health 

Why does stress occur? – from the view of Cognitive Appraisal Theory 

According to the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, when we approach a particular situation, we appraise it and then respond. 

Primary Appraisal 

1. Check for relevancy (Is the event relevant to me?): We check whether the perceived situation is relevant or irrelevant to our goal. If the situation is not relevant to us, we stop the appraisal.
2. Check whether the event is stressful (Is this a threat or challenge?): If it is considered stressful then we move to look for the harm/loss, threat or challenge. If any threat or challenge is detected we move to the secondary appraisal. 

Secondary appraisal

(Do I have resources to cope with it?) During the secondary appraisal, we evaluate whether we have enough resources (time, energy and support) to cope with the situation effectively. If the individual feels they have resources to cope with it, they feel less distress and take adaptive actions. If they feel a lack of resources, they may feel overwhelmed, helpless and powerless. 

Cognitive Appraisal Theory vs Job Insecurity 

The cognitive appraisal theory of stress is used to explain how exposure to automation or robots in the workplace might influence the perceptions of job security, which in turn affects their emotional responses and actions. 

To this theory, environmental stimuli (exposure to automation) can trigger the primary appraisal process, whether employees evaluate whether the situation (robots replacing human work) is a threat to their job security. If employees perceive the presence of robots as a threat (fear of job loss), it might lead to negative emotions like stress, anxiety or insecurity. As a result of the emotional response to job security, employees may exhibit behavioural reactions (action tendencies). Example: They may feel less motivated, seek other employment or resist change in the workplace. 

Read More: Improving Workplace Satisfaction, Motivation and Productivity Using Positive Psychology

Then the employee tends to cope with the threat situation in two ways: 

1. Avoidance-Oriented Behavior 

This involves disengaging from the negative stimuli. In this case, considering job insecurity, avoidance can be shown in the way of distancing themselves from their work or mentally disengaging and that leads to burnout. This happens because they feel overwhelmed and powerless, leading to emotional exhaustion and a lack of engagement in their work. 

2. Approach-Oriented behavior 

This focuses on addressing the stressor and trying to regain control over the situation. Employees tend to enhance the condition of the situation in a dysfunctional way, such as by engaging in incivility – which comprises behaviours like behaving rudely, and showing disrespect towards others. This is done as a method of showing off their frustration or reclaiming their sense of power. 

Intervention to reduce job insecurity: Self-affirmation 

Self-affirmation theory imposes that we are motivated to preserve our self-worth while facing threats. When faced with a negative situation or feedback that challenges our self-concept, it can be emotionally distressing. However, the theory suggests that we don’t just react defensively; when we engage in a process of self-affirmation. 

How it works: 

1. Reduces defensive reactions 

When self-worth feels threatened, we often react defensively. By affirming other areas of their identity that are unrelated to the threat, people are less likely to engage in these negative, defensive behaviours. This lessens the need to defend their ego, allowing a more rational and calm response to threats. 

2. Help to Maintain Emotional Stability 

Self–affirmation allows individuals to step back from the threat and view the situation in a broader context. It helps them remember their self-worth is not tied to one specific area of life. 

3. Promotes Psychological Resilience 

By affirming other positive aspects of their identity, individuals are better able to handle setbacks and stress because they don’t feel their entire self-worth is at risk and helps them recover more quickly and remain motivated rather than becoming overwhelmed or hopeless. 

4. Encourages Growth Mindset 

Self-affirmation can help people view threats or challenges as opportunities for growth rather than just failures. When someone affirms their worth and recognizes their other strengths, they are more likely to approach the situation with a growth mindset -believing they can learn from the experience and improve. 

5. Buffers Stress and Anxiety 

The act of affirming other positive aspects of self can reduce the physiological and emotional impact of stress. When people feel good about themselves in other areas, they experience lower levels of stress in the face of threatening situations. 

6. Increasing Coping Resources 

Self-affirming helps individuals feel more resourceful and better able to cope with the threat. When self-worth is preserved, individuals have more psychological resources available to face challenges. 

Automation and technology don’t cure behavioural ruts; they just create new instances of them. – Kenneth Goldsmith