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Cited by 219Student Stress and CopingOptimism, Hope, and Well-beingResilience and Mental Health

Perceived past, present, and future control and adjustment to stressful life events

Frazier, Patricia, Keenan, Nora, Anders, Samantha, Perera, Sulani, Shallcross, Sandra, Hintz, Samuel·2011·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
DOI 10.1037/a0022405
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Abstract

Perceived control is a central construct in psychology and is key to understanding individual differences in poststress outcomes (Frazier, Berman, & Steward, 2001). The goals of the current studies (using 4 samples of undergraduate students, total N = 1,421) were to examine the relations between different aspects of perceived control and poststress outcomes and to differentiate perceived control over specific events from related constructs (i.e., general control beliefs, coping strategies). To accomplish these goals, we first developed a new measure of perceived past, present, and future control over stressful life events. The data supported the content validity, factor structure, internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity of the new measure. Consistent with the temporal model of control (Frazier et al., 2001), these 3 forms of control had very different relations with adjustment. Present control was consistently related to lower distress levels in cross-sectional, longitudinal, and prospective analyses. Present control also predicted outcomes beyond the effects of general control beliefs and coping strategies. Past and future control had nonsignificant or positive relations with distress, although future control was associated with better outcomes (i.e., course grades) when the stressor was controllable. Thus, our measure can be used to assess the relations between perceived past, present, and future control and outcomes across a range of stressors. Because the relations between these 3 forms of control and outcomes differ markedly, measures that combine these aspects of control hinder the understanding of the important role of perceived control in adjustment to stress.

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  • For inclusion criteria in the preselected-student studies, two studies used a cut-off score on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), one used the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) stress or anxiety sub-scale, and one used the Perceived Control Over Stressful Events Scale (PCOSES).

    “With regard to the inclusion criteria of the participants, two studies used a cut-off score based on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) (Cohen and Williamson, 1988).”

    From Effects of self-guided stress management interventions in college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as Frazier et al., 2011

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Related

Authors
Frazier, P., Keenan, N., Anders, S., Perera, S., Shallcross, S., & Hintz, S.
Affiliations
University of Minnesota (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2011-04
Volume
100
Issue
4
Pages
749-765
ISSN
  • 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1315
DOI
10.1037/a0022405
OpenAlex
W2063276906
Cited by
219
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 9
FWCI
26.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2011-03-28)
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
Keywords
perceived control, life events, psychological distress, coping strategies, scale development, course grades, undergraduate students
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Internal-External Control, Life Change Events, Male, Social Perception, Stress, Psychological, Young Adult

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