This may increase employee cynicism. Cynicism was significantly related to stress and frustration, perceived influence on superiors, tenure, rehabilitative orientation, and prior military service. The authors hypothesize that officers who become disillusioned early in their careers terminate employment. The officers who are oriented toward rehabilitation and remain in the correctional field have higher perceived influence on superiors. They appear to gain skills to negotiate with superiors and consequently are less cynical about the prison administration.
Cynicism can reduce trust and the ability to form supportive relationships.
They also suggest that other people may avoid cynical people because of their unpleasantness. Both studies controlled for age and other risk factors of CHD and included 20 years of data. These variables have been associated with decreased immune function, cancer, and other health problems. Mental and Physical Health Immunosuppression, excessive sympathetic reactivity, muscular tension, and physical exhaustion are results of the body's repeated and ineffective attempts to cope with stress. They propose that a more complex model of these relationships is needed.