The current study aimed to examine the potential sources of intra- and inter-individual differences in older adults’ control beliefs using a micro-longitudinal design. Adults (n = 205) ranging in age from 60 to 94 (M = 73) completed 8 in-person testing sessions within 3 weeks which included assessments of control beliefs (Locus of Control and Perceived Competence), daily stressors, emotional well-being (Positive Affect and Negative Affect), physical health (physical symptoms and sleep), and cognition (basic cognition tests, everyday cognition, and memory failures). Results from multilevel modeling suggested that daily stressors were a unique predictor of perceived competence after controlling for physical health and emotional well-being, but not significant after controlling for cognition. Daily stressors from the previous occasion uniquely predicted subsequent locus of control, but only after controlling for emotional well-being. Discussion will focus on differential influence of stressors on locus of control and perceived competence.
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