Historical Changes in Control Belief Trajectories

Abstract

The present research examines whether and how well-documented historical changes in resource availability, social embedding, technology, and social norms also manifest in control beliefs?a key psychological marker of individual health and well-being. Drawing on longitudinal data from five waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (N = 42,158) spanning over 20 years, we analyzed control belief trajectories of individuals aged 16 to 98 years, born between 1914 and 1989. Our results reveal that compared to middle-aged and older adults born earlier in historical time, those born later reported higher levels of control beliefs and maintained these into higher ages. We also found that gender and income disparities in control beliefs have narrowed among more recent cohorts. In contrast, socialization disparities between individuals from the former Eastern vs. Western part of Germany have widened over the 30 years since reunification. We also found that the experience of unemployment or disability is associated with larger event-related decrements in control beliefs today than in the past. In contrast, the associations between education (moderate positive) and religiosity (modest negative) with control beliefs have not changed. We discuss potential drivers of the observed changes and their broader conceptual and societal implications.Plain Language SummaryThis study examines how age trajectories of people?s sense of control?the belief that they can influence events and outcomes in their lives?have changed over the past 20 years. Using national data from over 42,000 people in Germany, ranging in age from 16 to 98 and born between 1914 and 1989, our findings show that middle-aged and older adults born earlier felt increasingly less in control as they aged. In contrast, those born more recently reported perceiving more control over their lives and kept those control perceptions longer into old age. Over historical time, the gaps in control beliefs between men and women and between higher- and lower-income groups have gotten smaller, whereas differences between people from the former East and West Germany have grown since reunification 30 years ago. We also found that major life events, like unemployment or a disability, are associated with larger losses in a sense of control today than in the past, making these events harder to cope with. Moderate positive associations with education and modest negative associations with religiosity have not changed over time. We explore possible reasons and consider what these trends might mean for individuals and society.