Is this fair? Exploring future expectations among Dutch vocational education students: The role of money worries and just world beliefs

Abstract

Positive future expectations are declining among Dutch youth, reflected in Dutch secondary vocational education students. This trend can disrupt youth from successfully transitioning into adulthood. Lower positive future expectations can decrease long-term health outcomes, decrease positive behaviors, increase risk behaviors, and disrupt optimal development. One possible explanation for this trend is the increase of money worries among Dutch youth. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between money worries and future expectations among Dutch secondary vocational education students (N = 785). Lower future expectations might also be caused by facing social inequalities, weakening ideas that the world is just (JWB). Facing money worries can contradict the notion that the world is just, subsequently lowering future expectations. So, the second aim was to examine if the association between money worries and future expectations was explained through Just World Beliefs, using a mediation analysis. Results showed significant results for both hypotheses. Money worries in this study was significantly associated with future expectations, and this effect could partially be explained through just world beliefs. Interventions concerning positive psychology or financial literacy should be considered in the Dutch secondary vocational education system to prevent these trends of increasing money worries or weakening future expectations from exacerbating. As youth already face more and more uncertainties in their lives, it is important to make sure that they can be at least confident about their future.