Protective behavior in adolescent friendships : the influence of attitudes toward the consequences, friendship norms and perceived control

The current study sought to understand adolescent protective behavior in friendship using a Theory of Planned Behavior framework. In particular, the study sought to consider a young persons’ direct and active intervention to inhibit their friends’ risky behavior or to assist them when the behavior leads to injury. The role of attitudes regarding the consequences, norms and control about protective behavior were examined both qualitatively through focus groups (n= 50) and quantitatively through surveys from a sample of 540 Year 9 students (13-14 years old). There was some support for the theory with attitudes regarding the consequences of the behavior and norms predicting intended protective behavior. A path analysis was conducted with a sub-sample of 140 students which showed that intentions to be protective and perceived control to undertake protective behavior directly predicted such behavior after a 3 month interval. Attitudes towards the consequences and norms only indirectly predicted protective behavior via intention. The findings provide important applied information for interventions designed to increase adolescent protective behavior in their friendships.

An intervention study to improve pain management by nurses : normative beliefs and perceived control

Based on a predictive model of nurses' intentions regarding pain management, an intervention was developed to improve nurses' pain management. The intervention involved a series of workshops with cohorts of nurses working in acute care wards to address the important antecedents to their intentions: normative beliefs and perceived control. Pre- and post-intervention measures demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention. The effectiveness of this intervention in improving the management of patients' pain is compared with a patient education program group and a control group. The findings provide support for further developing interventions based on the theory of planned behavior.

Effect of attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control on nurses' intention to assess patients' pain

This study examines the underlying determinants of nurses' behaviour regarding the conduct of pain assessments. One hundred nurses in a variety of health care facilities were invited to complete an Attitude Intention Questionnaire based upon the theory of planned action which is an extension of the theory of reasoned action. Results provide some support for the theory of planned action, as nurses' intention to conduct pain assessment was shown to be predicted by attitude, subjective norms and perceived control, although the latter was the only variable to make an independent contribution to intention. Additional support for the importance of perceived control was provided by the analysis of 'intenders' and 'non-intenders' (to conduct pain assessments), as perceived control was the only variable which differed significantly between the groups. The findings are consistent with earlier studies which showed that the variables in the theory of planned behaviour provided reasonably accurate predictions of behavioural intention.

Neural emotion regulation circuitry underlying anxiolytic effects of perceived control over pain.

Anxiolytic effects of perceived control have been observed across species. In humans, neuroimaging studies have suggested that perceived control and cognitive reappraisal reduce negative affect through similar mechanisms. An important limitation of extant neuroimaging studies of perceived control in terms of directly testing this hypothesis, however, is the use of within-subject designs, which confound participants' affective response to controllable and uncontrollable stress. To compare neural and affective responses when participants were exposed to either uncontrollable or controllable stress, two groups of participants received an identical series of stressors (thermal pain stimuli). One group ("controllable") was led to believe they had behavioral control over the pain stimuli, whereas another ("uncontrollable") believed they had no control. Controllable pain was associated with decreased state anxiety, decreased activation in amygdala, and increased activation in nucleus accumbens. In participants who perceived control over the pain, reduced state anxiety was associated with increased functional connectivity between each of these regions and ventral lateral/ventral medial pFC. The location of pFC findings is consistent with regions found to be critical for the anxiolytic effects of perceived control in rodents. Furthermore, interactions observed between pFC and both amygdala and nucleus accumbens are remarkably similar to neural mechanisms of emotion regulation through reappraisal in humans. These results suggest that perceived control reduces negative affect through a general mechanism involved in the cognitive regulation of emotion.

Subjective quality of life, perceived control and dispositional optimism among older people

Objectives: To examine whether the subjective quality of life (QOL) of elderly people is held under homeostatic control, and to investigate the role of perceived control and dispositional optimism in the maintenance of subjective QOL.
Method: 100 older people (M=75.6 years) and a control group of 107 younger people (M=20.1 years) completed a self-report survey.
Results: Both groups had a level of subjective QOL within the normal range. The older group reported higher levels of secondary control and optimism, but similar levels of primary control, as the younger group. Primary control and optimism predicted subjective QOL for both groups. Secondary control was a significant predictor (or the younger group, however it was only marginally significant for the older group. Optimism accounted for the most subjective QOL variance for both groups.
Conclusions: The finding that the subjective QOL of the older group lay within the normative range supports the proposal that their subjective QOL is being successfully maintained under bomeostatic control. However, they appear to have an increased reliance on secondary control. The fact that dispositional optimism captures the predictive variance of perceived control, is an important finding adding to the understanding of subjective QOL maintenance.

Teachers' work hours, work-family conflict and health: the mediating effects of perceived control and organisational support

Teachers are among those working longer hours more than ever before. the implications of these long hours on teachers' health, through work-family conflict, control over hours worked and organisational support were investigated. 120 teachers, of whom 91 (59.3% female) reported
working in excess of 37 1/2 hours in the week prior, participated in the study. Long hours, work-family conflict, control and organisational support, explained 69% of the variance in health. There was no direct effect of long worked hours on health however long hours did have a direct impact on work-family conflict, organisational support, and control and, through
these, teachers' health. Work-family conflict exerted a direct negative impact on health. These findings are discussed in individual and organisational tenns.

Volunteering and well-being : do self-esteem, optimism, and perceived control mediate the relationship?

Volunteers play a vital role in modern societies by boosting the labor force within both the public and private sectors. While the factors that may lead people to volunteer have been investigated in a number of studies, the means by which volunteering contributes to the well-being of such volunteers is poorly understood. It has been suggested through studies that focus on the absence of depression in volunteers that self-esteem and sense of control may be major determinants of the increased well-being reported by volunteers. This is consistent with the homeostatic model of subjective well-being, which proposes that self-esteem, optimism, and perceived control act as buffers that mediate the relationship between environmental experience and subjective well-being (SWB). Using personal well-being as a more positive measure of well-being than absence of depression, this study further explored the possible mediating role of self-esteem, optimism, and perceived control in the relationship between volunteer status and well-being. Participants (N = 1,219) completed a 97-item survey as part of the Australian Unity Wellbeing project. Variables measured included personal well-being, self-esteem, optimism, and a number of personality and psychological adjustment factors. Analyses revealed that perceived control and optimism, but not self-esteem, mediated the relationship between volunteer status and personal well-being.

Perceived control and subjective wellbeing in older adults

Across age, the ability to accept what cannot be changed increases while feelings of control remain stable. The growth of acceptance preserves, rather than compensates for, older adults' sense of being in control. In later life, acceptance and control appear to operate together to maintain wellbeing. The professional portfolio uses four case studies to illustrate how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programs can be reinterpreted through and Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT) framework and elements of both employed within a single therapeutic program.

Health satisfaction and perceived control : investigating subjective wellbeing homeostasis

Through an investigation of relationships between subjective wellbeing, health satisfaction and perceived control, the thesis contributes to a greater understanding of the psychological adaptation processes of individuals experiencing back pain. Risk factors to subjective wellbeing are also identified, thus presenting opportunities to provide assistance before the onset of psychopathology.

The influence of perceived control on subjective wellbeing in later life

It has been proposed that a sense of control (primary control) is critical to maintaining positive and stable subjective wellbeing (SWB). As people age and control capacity presumably declines (due to physical and cognitive deterioration and increased sociocultural challenges), it is argued that the influence of secondary perceived control (or acceptance) increases to help maintain normative levels of SWB. While previous studies have typically investigated the relationship between perceived control and global estimates of satisfaction (i.e., overall life satisfaction), the present study evaluated the link between perceived control and seven key domains of satisfaction in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the control-satisfaction relationship. A community-based sample of 1,317 individuals (age range: 17–92 years) was utilised to examine potential age-related differences in perceived control (primary and secondary) and satisfaction. Findings revealed that primary and secondary perceived control both increased across age, with secondary perceived control increasing at a higher rate. Primary perceived control had predictive primacy for satisfaction over secondary perceived control (consistent with theory). A moderated mediation effect was also found, suggesting that, in later life, secondary perceived control influences primary perceived control and, in turn, influences satisfaction with various domains. Therefore, while primary control is important to wellbeing, it should be acknowledged that secondary perceived control may have unique significance to the wellbeing of older adults.

Burnout and turnover intentions in Australian coaches as related to organisational support and perceived control