Control Beliefs Lifespan Development Multivariate LGC Health Social Support
Abstract:
Lifespan developmental psychology has long been interested in examining changes
within and structural relations between domains of functioning. To explore cross-domain
associations between facets of social support, control beliefs, and health, we applied a
multivariate latent growth curve model to 4 waves of longitudinal data covering 15.5 years from
the Americans’ Changing Lives Study (mean age 54, range 25-96) to examine cross-domain
linkages between emotional support, mastery, and health. Our results indicate profound
associations between emotional support, mastery beliefs, and functional health not only exist in
mean levels of functioning, but also that across-domain changes are moderately interrelated.
Additionally, statistically nested model comparisons established that such cross-domain
associations do not differ by groups of age, education, and gender. Our discussion highlights
how integrative research examining cross-domain associations can inform conceptual models of
lifespan development.
