Personal Control over Development: Effects on the Perception and Emotional Evaluation of Personal Development in Adulthood

Abstract

Proceeding from an action perspective on development, this article addresses the impact of perceived control over personal development on the perception and emotional evaluation of developmental achievements and prospects in adulthood. Findings from a research project on personal control and emotional experience of development in adulthood reveal that low subjective control over development is related: (1) to a depressive outlook on personal development; (2) to an unfavorable appraisal of personal development in terms of perceived distances from personally valued developmental goals as well as in terms of personal resources for developmental progress. The findings further indicate that unsatisfying prospects of personal development may instigate self-corrective tendencies. The analyses reported (path analysis, analyses of variance) are based on questionnaire data obtained on a sample of over 630 married couples in the age range of 30 to 60 years. The results are specified with regard to different dimensions of personal development as well as to age and sex of respondents.