Perceived Control

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Perceived Control Wellbeing

• Sue Chambers, Jackie Hollway, Emma-Rose Parsons
  Clea Wallage

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Subjective Wellbeing (SWB)
Key question measuring general life satisfaction
Related to domains in personal life Standard of
living, health, achievement, personal
relationships, safety, community belonging,
future security
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Normal Distribution of SWB
Prediction Positive cognitive biases work to
maintain SWB in 70-80 band.
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Homeostatic Model
Prediction Normally cognitive biases maintain
positive SWB. Otherwise defeat
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Other domains of life

• National economy, environment, social
  conditions, government, business, security
• Neighbourhood trust, participation, goals,
  security, environment, public resources, sharing
• Contribution to SWB?

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SWB Domains
Prediction Positive cognitive biases used to
maintain SWB more relevant to personal than gt
distal domains of neighbourhood nation
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Cognitive biases

• Self-esteem, perceived control optimism
• Perceived Control
• Primary active strategy to change external
  situation
• Secondary active strategy to modify relevant
  cognitions
• Relinquished loss of control no adaptive
  strategy

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Predictions

• SWB in normal band primary secondary control
  strategies operating
• SWB in low band Primary secondary control
  defeat relinquished control
• Personal wellbeing gt predictor of SWB than
  Neighbourhood or National wellbeing

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Method

• Participants 578 adults from Australian Unity
  Wellbeing sample
• Procedure Completed 63 item questionnaire,
  returned by post.
• Measures
• General life satisfaction question (SWB)
• Wellbeing scales personal, neighbourhood
  national (alphas gt.80)
• Perceived Control scales primary, secondary,
  relinquished
• Group SWB scores lt70 (G1)70-80 (G2) gt80 (G3)

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Results

• Group wellbeing means
• 1 2 3
• Personal 54.6 73.6 83.7
• Neighbourhood 53.4 64.9 72.7
• National 49.9 60.4 65.3

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Predictors of SWB Gp 1
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Predictors of SWB Gp 2
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Predictors of SWB Gp 3
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Primary Control X Group
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Secondary Control X Group
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Relinquished Control X Group
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Personal Wellbeing x Group
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Neighbourhood Wellbeing x Group
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National Wellbeing x Group
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Conclusions

• Homeostasis model supported useful
• Control strategies differ with SBW level
• Useful approach for interventions
• Distal-proximal model of relation of domains to
  SWB supported. General-specific aspect further
  analysis
• Scales offer reliable valid measures for
  further research examining perceived control
  SWB in conjunction with self-esteem optimism
  varying challenging contexts