The present study examined longitudinal associations of distinct dimensions of perceived control (i.e., perceived mastery and constraints) with approach and avoidance coping relating to functional health for aging adults, which had not been well studied previously. Using data from two waves of Midlife in the United States (N = 4,963, whose mean age was 55.4 [SD = 12.5]), a longitudinal path model was analyzed for direct and indirect effects among perceived mastery and constraints, approach and avoidance coping, and functional limitations. Bidirectional associations were observed between perceived mastery and approach coping and between perceived constraints and avoidance coping. Moreover, perceived constraints not only were directly associated with functional limitations but also mediated the longitudinal associations of the other factors of interest with functional limitations. These findings can inform future research on perceived control and coping in the context of promoting functional health.
AldwinC. (2011). Stress and coping across the lifespan. In FolkmanS. (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of stress, health, and coping (pp. 5–34). Oxford University Press.
2.
BaernholdtM.HintonI.YanG.RoseK.MattosM. (2012). Factors associated with quality of life in older adults in the United States. Quality of Life Research, 21(3), 527–534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-9954-z
BarlowM. A.WroschC.HeckhausenJ.SchulzR. (2016). Control strategies for managing physical health problems in old age: Evidence for the motivational theory of life-span development. In ReichJ. W.InfurnaF. J. (Eds.), Perceived control: Theory, research, and practice in the first 50 years (pp. 281–307). Oxford University Press.
5.
Ben-ZurH. (2002). Coping, affect and aging: The roles of mastery and self-esteem. Personality and Individual Differences, 32(2), 357–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(01)00031-9
6.
BillingsD. W.FolkmanS.AcreeM.MoskowitzJ. T. (2000). Coping and physical health during caregiving: The roles of positive and negative affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(1), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.1.131
7.
BollenK. A.StineR. (1990). Direct and indirect effects: Classical and bootstrap estimates of variability. Sociological Methodology, 20, 115–140. https://doi.org/10.2307/271084
8.
BoseN. C.PerssonH.BjörlingG.LjunggrenG.ElfströmM. L.SaboonchiF. (2016). Evaluation of a coping effectiveness training intervention in patients with chronic heart failure – A randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 15(7), 537–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474515115625033
9.
BrimO. G.BaltesP. B.BumpassL. L.ClearyP. D.FeathermanD. L.HazzardW. R., …ShwederR. A. (2019). Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 1), 1995–1996. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR02760.v18.
10.
CarverC. S. (2007). Stress, coping, and health. In FriedmanH. S.SilverR. C. (Eds.), Foundations of health psychology (pp. 117–144). Oxford University Press.
CarverC. S.ScheierM. F.WeintraubJ. K. (1989). Assessing coping strategy: A theoretical based approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(2), 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.56.2.267
13.
DijkstraM.HomanA. C. (2016). Engaging in rather than disengaging from stress: Effective coping and perceived control. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1415. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01415
14.
DreweliesJ.AgrigoroaeiS.LachmanM. E.GerstorfD. (2018). Age variations in cohort differences in the United States: Older adults report fewer constraints nowadays than those 18 years ago, but mastery beliefs are diminished among younger adults. Developmental Psychology, 54(8), 1408–1425. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000527
15.
EbnerN. C.FreundA. M.BaltesP. B. (2006). Developmental changes in personal goal orientation from young to late adulthood: From striving for gains to maintenance and prevention of losses. Psychology and Aging, 21(4), 664–678. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.21.4.664
16.
EisenbergS. A.ShenB. J.SchwarzE. R.MallonS. (2012). Avoidant coping moderates the association between anxiety and patient-rated physical functioning in heart failure patients. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 35(3), 253–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-011-9358-0
17.
FergusonS. J.GoodwinA. D. (2010). Optimism and well-being in older adults: The mediating role of social support and perceived control. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 71(1), 43–68. https://doi.org/10.2190/AG.71.1.c
18.
GerstorfD.RöckeC.LachmanM. E. (2011). Antecedent–consequent relations of perceived control to health and social support: Longitudinal evidence for between-domain associations across adulthood. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 66(1), 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbq077
19.
GlanzK.SchwartzM. D. (2008). Stress, coping, and health behavior. In GlanzK.RimerB. K.ViswanathK. (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (4th ed., pp. 211–236). Jossey-Bass.
20.
HostetlerA. J. (2012). Community involvement, perceived control, and attitudes toward aging among lesbians and gay men. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 75(2), 141–167. https://doi.org/10.2190/AG.75.2.c
21.
InfurnaF. J.KappesC.FraireN. (2018). Long-term antecedents of constraints and mastery: Findings from the health and retirement study. Psychology and Aging, 33(6), 965–974. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000281
22.
InfurnaF. J.MayerA. (2015). The effects of constraints and mastery on mental and physical health: Conceptual and methodological considerations. Psychology and Aging, 30(2), 432–448. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039050
23.
InfurnaF. J.OkunM. A. (2015). Antecedents and outcomes of level and rates of change in perceived control: The moderating role of age. Developmental Psychology, 51(10), 1420–1437. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039530
24.
JoppD. S.SchmittM. (2010). Dealing with negative life events: Differential effects of personal resources, coping strategies, and control beliefs. European Journal of Ageing, 7(3), 167–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-010-0160-6
25.
KempenG. I. J. M.RanchorA. V.OrmelJ.Van SonderenE.Van JaarsveldC. H. M.SandermanR. (2005). Perceived control and long-term changes in disability in late middle-aged and older persons: An eight-year follow-up study. Psychology & Health, 20(2), 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440512331317652
26.
KlineR. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford.
27.
KlingK. C.SeltzerM. M.RyffC. D. (1997). Distinctive later-life challenges: Implications for coping and well-being. Psychology and Aging, 12(2), 288–295. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.12.2.288
28.
LachmanM. E. (2006). Perceived control over aging-related declines: Adaptive beliefs and behaviors. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(6), 282–286. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00453.x
29.
LachmanM. E.NeupertS. D.AgrigoroaeiS. (2011). The relevance of control beliefs for health and aging. In SchaieK. W.WillisS. L. (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 175–190). Academic Press.
30.
LachmanM. E.RosnickC.RöckeC. (2009). The rise and fall of control beliefs in adulthood: Cognitive and biopsychosocial antecedents and consequences of stability and change over nine years. In BosworthH.HertzogC. (Eds.), Aging and cognition: Research methodologies and empirical advances (pp. 143–160). American Psychological Association.
31.
LachmanM. E.WeaverS. L. (1998). The sense of control as a moderator of social class differences in health and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(3), 763–773. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.763
32.
LazarusR. S.FolkmanS. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. Springer Publishing.
33.
LitmanJ. A. (2006). The COPE inventory: Dimensionality and relationships with approach-and avoidance-motives and positive and negative traits. Personality and Individual Differences, 41(2), 273–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.032
34.
LittleT. D. (2013). Longitudinal structural equation modeling. Guilford.
35.
LivnehH.MartzE. (2014). Coping strategies and resources as predictors of psychosocial adaptation among people with spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation Psychology, 59(3), 329–339. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036733
36.
Martinez-MartinP.Prieto-FloresM. E.ForjazM. J.Fernandez-MayoralasG.Rojo-PerezF.RojoJ. M.AyalaA. (2012). Components and determinants of quality of life in community-dwelling older adults. European Journal of Ageing, 9(3), 255–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-012-0232-x
O’DonnellK.BadrickE.KumariM.SteptoeA. (2008). Psychological coping styles and cortisol over the day in healthy older adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 33(5), 601–611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.01.015
39.
ParkC. L.EdmondsonD.FensterJ. R.BlankT. O. (2008). Positive and negative health behavior changes in cancer survivors: A stress and coping perspective. Journal of Health Psychology, 13(8), 1198–1206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105308095978
40.
PenleyJ. A.TomakaJ.WiebeJ. S. (2002). The association of coping to physical and psychological health outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 25(6), 551–603. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020641400589
41.
ReichJ. W.InfurnaF. J. (2016). Perceived control: Theory, research, and practice in the first 50 years. Oxford University Press.
42.
RobinsonS. A.LachmanM. E. (2017). Perceived control and aging: A mini-review and directions for future research. Gerontology, 63(5), 435–442. https://doi.org/10.1159/000468540
RyffC. D.AlmeidaD.AyanianJ.BinkleyN.CarrD. S.CoeC., …WilliamsD. (2019). Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 3), 2013–2014. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36346.v7.
45.
RyffC. D.AlmeidaD. M.AyanianJ.CarrD. S.ClearyP. D.CoeC., …WilliamsD. (2021). Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2), 2004–2006. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04652.v8.
46.
SempérteguiG. A.KarremanA.van HoutG. C.BekkerM. H. (2017). Functional status in patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms: Coping styles and their relationship with depression and anxiety. Journal of Health Psychology, 22(13), 1743–1754. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105316638548
SkinnerE. A. (2016). Seven guideposts to the study of perceived control across the lifespan. In JohnR.FrankJ. I. (Eds.), Perceived control: Theory, research, and practice in the first 50 years (pp. 309–339). Oxford University Press.
49.
TsenkovaV. K.Dienberg LoveG.SingerB. H.RyffC. D. (2008). Coping and positive affect predict longitudinal change in glycosylated hemoglobin. Health Psychology, 27(2S), S163–S171. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.27.2(Suppl.).S163
50.
University of Wisconsin - Madison Institute on Aging. (2020). Midlife in the United States: A national longitudinal study of health & well-being. http://midus.wisc.edu/
51.
Ware Jr.J. E.SherbourneC. D. (1992). The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36): I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Medical Care, 30(6), 473–483. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005650-199206000-00002
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
