Perceived control across the adult lifespan: Longitudinal changes in global control and daily stressor control.

Abstract

Perceived control is an important psychosocial resource for health and wellbeing 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 MIDUS 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 reported their global control, but also reported their perceived control over stressors they experience across eight consecutive days. Longitudinal analyses revealed differential change trajectories for global control across 20 years and stressor control across 10 years (p’s<.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.

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