Age differences in the relation between controllability and coping.

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the relation between generalized and domain-specific locus of control and coping strategies as moderated by age differences. Adolescents through older adults were given measures of controllability and coping for both relationship and achievement contexts. For domain-specific measures only, older adults perceived the cause of stressors in both contexts as less controllable than did all other participants. However, no age difference was found in controllability of the outcome. Domain-specific measures were better predictors of coping than generalized measures of locus of control. Domain-specific attribution measures were most predictive of the coping mechanism self-blame, and this relation was moderated by age and context. Controllability of outcome predicted the use of self-blame among adolescents and, to a lesser degree, among younger adults; internal locus of causality of the stressful event predicted self-blame among older adults.