Natural Hazards and Job Choice: Game Participants
Only responses that included a final job choice were included in the analysis. With this requirement, there were a total of 548 usable responses, with 301 responses from geoscientists (55%) and 247 from non-geoscientists (45%).
Generations
There was higher representation of Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers and lower representation of Gen Z and Silent generations among geoscientist respondents when compared to non-geoscientist respondents. A Chi-squared test yielded no statistically significant difference between the composition of the geoscientist, non-geoscientist and whole population cohorts.
Chi-squared test
chi2 = 13.5528
P-value = 0.09419
Educational achievement
The highest level of education achieved by participants with geoscience degrees was mostly at the post-baccalaureate level, followed by approximately one-third of geoscientists holding baccalaureate degrees. In comparison, a third of non-geoscientists held baccalaureate degrees and one-third held graduate or professional degrees. A Chi-squared test yielded statistically significant difference between the composition of the geoscientist, non-geoscientist and whole population cohorts.
Chi-squared test
chi2 = 39.8102
P-value = 3.3754e-06
Field of terminal degree
While geoscience was the terminal degree of most respondents, 20% held other science & engineering degrees, and 14% held non-science & engineering degrees.
Career stage
By career stage, there were 361 valid responses, 207 of which were from geoscientists. Most respondents were either in the late career (15+ years post-terminal degree) or early career (0-4 years post-terminal degree) cohorts. More participants in the geoscientist cohort were in the early-to-mid career and late-career stages than those in the non-geoscience cohort. A Chi-squared test yielded no statistically significant difference between the composition of the geoscientist, non-geoscientist and whole population cohorts.
Chi-squared test
chi2 = 9.1397
P-value = 0.3307
- Early career – individuals who are pursuing a geoscience degree or earned their most recent degree less than 5 years ago.
- Early-to-mid career – individuals who are in the early stages of their careers and who earned their most recent degree between 5 and 10 years ago.
- Mid-to-late career – individuals who are established within their careers and who earned their most recent degree between 10 and 14 years ago.
- Late career – individuals who are advanced in their careers and who earned their most recent degree 15 or more years ago.
Gender, race, and ethnicity
For the gender and race and ethnicity analyses, there were 361 valid responses, 207 of which were from geoscientists. Between geoscientist and non-geoscientist cohorts, the proportion of male and female participants were similar (~49% female, ~ 38% male). A Chi-squared test yielded no statistically significant difference between the composition of the geoscientist, non-geoscientist and whole population cohorts.
Chi-squared test
chi2 = 0.0942
P-value = 0.9989
Additionally, most participants reported their race and ethnicity identity as White (78% geoscientists; 75% non-geoscientists). Among geoscientists, 1% of participants were Hispanic or Latino, 3% as Black or African American, 4% as Asian, 6% as multiple categories, and 6% as unreported. Non-geoscientists had slightly higher representation among non-White race and ethnicity categories: 5% Hispanic or Latino, 4% as Black or African American, 4% as Asian, 4% as multiple categories, and 9% as unreported. A Chi-squared test yielded no statistically significant difference between the composition of the geoscientist, non-geoscientist and whole population cohorts.
Chi-squared test
chi2 = 2.717
P-value = 0.9873
Geographic distribution
The top locations where participants were located were California, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Virginia and Florida. Geographic distribution of geoscientists were similar to that of the non-geoscientists, with higher representation in the midwestern states.
Willingness to Relocate
We examined the job search areas of participants relative to their current location of residence to determine if individuals searched only within their current US Census division (i.e., they were determined to stay within their division), searched within and outside of their current US Census division (i.e., they were open to relocating for a job), or if they only searched outside of their current US Census division (i.e., they were committed to moving away from their current location). Between geoscientist and non-geoscientist cohorts, the proportion participants determined to stay (24% vs 22%), willing to move (60% vs 56%) and committed to moving (16% vs 23%) were similar, albeit geoscientists were slightly more committed to moving than non-geoscientists. However, a Chi-squared test yielded no statistically significant difference between the geoscientist, non-geoscientist and whole population cohorts.
Chi-squared test
chi2 = 1.3613
P-value = 0.8509
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