Regularity of daily activities buffers the negative impact of low perceived control on affect

Abstract

The main objective of the present study was to examine the potential buffering effect of regularity of the duration of time spent on daily activities in the association between perceived control and affect in communitydwelling adults. The sample for the current study was derived from the Midlife in the United States longitudinal follow-up study, MIDUS-II. Findings corroborated the association between a general sense of perceived control and positive and negative affect. Further, daily regularity was found to moderate the relationships of perceived control and both positive and negative affect. In each case, the findings suggest that individuals who scored lower on perceived control measures were more likely to have better affective outcomes when they demonstrated greater regularity in daily activities. The findings imply the relevance of regularity to affective experiences.

The Associations Between Dispositional Mindfulness, Sense of Control, and Affect in a National Sample of Adults

“…Consistent with prior research, greater sense of control predicted lower levels of negative affect and higher levels of positive affect (Tighe, Dautovich, & Allen, 2014). However, these associations were moderated by age.…”

“…In a sample of older adults aged 70 through 103 years, sense of control was positively associated with positive affect (but not negative affect) cross-sectionally and with both positive and negative affect longitudinally (Kunzmann, Little, & Smith, 2002). Additionally, older adults with a stronger sense of perceived control reported higher positive affect and lower negative affect than those reporting a lower sense of perceived control (Tighe, Dautovich, & Allen, 2014).…”

Untangling the effects of partner responsiveness on health and well-being: The role of perceived control

“…Importantly, several theoretical frameworks propose that the effectiveness of perceived control for well-being and health depends partially on its capacity to soothe negative reactivity to daily stressors (Baumeister, Vohs, & Tice, 2007; Cohen & Wills, 1985; Steele, 1988; Tighe, Dautovic, & Allen, 2015). For example, Lachman’s (2006) integrative conceptual model—based on cognitive behavioral theory (Bandura, 1997)—considers perceived control as an enabling factor that reinforces the individual’s self as competent and capable of controlling outcomes, which, in turn, promotes effective strategies (e.g., emotional regulation) for dealing with stress and facilitates numerous outcomes, including well-being and health.…”

“…As a consequence, they may experience higher levels of anxiety and a lower sense of self-efficacy when facing challenges, which is typically manifested in difficulties with downregulating emotional reactivity to stressors (Galinsky, Gruenfeld, & Magee, 2003; Keltner et al, 2003). To illustrate this point, a few empirical studies have begun to document the relevance of perceived control for affective reactivity (Koffer et al, 2019; Tighe et al, 2015). Although there may be a link between perceived control and broad affective reactivity, the associations between control and NA reactivity are particularly strong.…”

There's More than Meets the Eye: Complex Associations of Daily Pain, Physical Symptoms, and Self-Efficacy with Activity in Middle and Older Adulthood

“…The participants were asked to indicate how much time they had spent doing 28 activities in the past 24 h on a scale ranging from 0 (no time at all) through 1 (some time but less than 15 min), 2 (between 15 and 30 min), 3 (between 30 min and 1 h), 4 (1-2 h), 5 (2-4 h), 6 (4-8 h), and 7 (8-12 h) to 8 (more than 12 h). The activity list was adapted from the National Study of Daily Experiences, which was intended to capture general daily activity [25] , and included additional activities that are generally associated with cognition [26,27] . As leisure activity was the focus of the study, only conceptually relevant items were used.…”