TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived Control Across the Adult Lifespan
T2 - Longitudinal Changes in Global Control and Daily Stressor Control
AU - Cerino, Eric S.
AU - Charles, Susan T.
AU - Mogle, Jacqueline
AU - Rush, Jonathan
AU - Piazza, Jennifer R.
AU - Klepacz, Laura M.
AU - Lachman, Margie E.
AU - Almeida, David M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Psychological Association
PY - 2023/11/2
Y1 - 2023/11/2
N2 - Perceived control is an important psychosocial resource for health and well-being across the lifespan. Global control (i.e., overall perceived control) decreases over time in studies following people every few years to upwards of 10 years. Changes across wider intervals of the lifespan, however, have yet to be examined. Further, how perceived control changes for specific aspects of daily life, such as stressors, remains comparatively less clear. Using data from the Midlife in the United States National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE, N= 1,940, M= 56.25 years, SD= 12.20, 57% female), we examined longitudinal changes in global control across 20 years and daily stressor control across 10 years. Global control was assessed in the first wave of the NSDE (~1996). In follow-up waves, conducted in ~2008 and ~2017, participants again not only reported their global control but also reported their perceived control over stressors they experience across 8 consecutive days. Longitudinal analyses revealed differential change trajectories for global control across 20 years and stressor control across 10 years (ps,.001). Global control declined for younger and older adults but stayed relatively stable for individuals in midlife. The rate of decline in daily stressor control was steeper than the decline in global control and did not vary by age at baseline. In addition, declines were amplified among individuals with higher global control at baseline. Results suggest that daily stressor control is a specific aspect of control beliefs that follows a different rate of change than global control.
AB - Perceived control is an important psychosocial resource for health and well-being across the lifespan. Global control (i.e., overall perceived control) decreases over time in studies following people every few years to upwards of 10 years. Changes across wider intervals of the lifespan, however, have yet to be examined. Further, how perceived control changes for specific aspects of daily life, such as stressors, remains comparatively less clear. Using data from the Midlife in the United States National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE, N= 1,940, M= 56.25 years, SD= 12.20, 57% female), we examined longitudinal changes in global control across 20 years and daily stressor control across 10 years. Global control was assessed in the first wave of the NSDE (~1996). In follow-up waves, conducted in ~2008 and ~2017, participants again not only reported their global control but also reported their perceived control over stressors they experience across 8 consecutive days. Longitudinal analyses revealed differential change trajectories for global control across 20 years and stressor control across 10 years (ps,.001). Global control declined for younger and older adults but stayed relatively stable for individuals in midlife. The rate of decline in daily stressor control was steeper than the decline in global control and did not vary by age at baseline. In addition, declines were amplified among individuals with higher global control at baseline. Results suggest that daily stressor control is a specific aspect of control beliefs that follows a different rate of change than global control.
KW - control beliefs
KW - daily stressor control
KW - intraindividual variability
KW - longitudinal changes
KW - perceived control
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U2 - 10.1037/dev0001618
DO - 10.1037/dev0001618
M3 - Article
C2 - 37917487
AN - SCOPUS:85182598825
SN - 0012-1649
VL - 60
SP - 45
EP - 58
JO - Developmental Psychology
JF - Developmental Psychology
IS - 1
ER -