Environmental Congruence, Group Importance, and Well-Being Among Paratroopers

Abstract

The study examined the relation between variables of environmental congruence (or Person-environment fit; P-E fit) and group importance on the one hand and variables of satisfaction and somatic complaints on the other. Participants were 267 paratroopers who belonged to 35 units (environments). Both the diadic and the census methods were used to assign congruence scores. Findings showed (a) group importance correlated .55 and -.25 (p < .05) with satisfaction and somatic complaints, respectively, while congruence did not show significant correlations; (b) The nonlinear examination of the relationships showed a significant (p < .05) main effect for group importance on satisfaction and for the interaction of group importance and congruence both on satisfaction and on somatic complaints. It is suggested on the basis of these and earlier findings that group importance is a sufficient condition for satisfaction and that congruence interacts with it to enhance satisfaction. The superiority of the diadic method was not statistically confirmed.