The Power of Perceived Control: How Feeling in Charge Helps You Handle Stress Better — and Gets Stronger With Age
A new study from Penn State University, published in Communications Psychology (a Nature Portfolio journal), has revealed that feeling even a little more in control of daily challenges dramatically increases the chances of actually resolving them. What’s more, this effect becomes stronger as people grow older, suggesting that our ability to use control as a stress-fighting tool improves over time.
The research offers a surprisingly practical insight: feeling in charge, even in small ways, can make a measurable difference in how we manage daily stress — whether it’s tackling a household issue, dealing with a difficult coworker, or handling an overwhelming to-do list.
Let’s unpack what this study found, how it was conducted, and why these findings matter for everyone, no matter your age.
What the Study Was About
The study, titled “Daily association between perceived control and resolution of daily stressors strengthens across a decade of adulthood,” explored how people’s sense of control over daily stressors affects whether those stressors get resolved by the end of the day.
Researchers wanted to know: when people feel like they have more personal agency — that is, when they believe they can influence what’s happening — are they actually more likely to solve the problem? And, does this relationship change as people get older?
The key term here is perceived control. It’s not about how much control a person truly has in a situation, but how much they feel they have. That feeling alone can motivate people to take constructive action rather than freeze under pressure.
How the Study Was Conducted
This research is based on data from the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE), part of the broader Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) project — one of the largest long-term studies on health and well-being in adults.
- Sample size: 1,766 adults
- Average age: around 56 years
- Gender distribution: roughly 57% women and 43% men
- Data collection period: Two separate eight-day “daily diary” studies conducted about 10 years apart
During each of those eight-day periods, participants reported which daily stressors they experienced — such as arguments, work problems, or family issues — and whether those problems were resolved by the end of the day.
For each stressor, they also rated how much control they felt they had on a simple scale: none, a little, some, or a lot.
Researchers then used multilevel statistical modeling to analyze the data, comparing not only differences between individuals (some people generally feel more in control than others) but also day-to-day differences within the same person.
In other words, they could see whether people were more likely to resolve problems on days when they felt more in control than usual — a powerful way to test the link between perceived control and actual stress resolution.
The Core Findings
The results were striking and consistent.
- When people felt more control, they were far more likely to resolve their daily stressors.
Across all participants, on days when they felt a higher sense of control than their usual baseline, they were about 62% more likely to have resolved those stressors by the end of the day. Statistically, that corresponds to an odds ratio of 1.66, meaning their likelihood of stressor resolution jumped significantly. - This pattern held across all types of stressors.
Whether the stressor was a workplace issue, an interpersonal argument, or a household problem, the sense of control consistently predicted better outcomes. It didn’t matter how severe the stressor was — the relationship between perceived control and problem-solving remained stable. - The effect strengthens with age.
Over the 10-year span between the two waves of data collection, the association between perceived control and stress resolution became stronger.- At the first wave, people were about 61% more likely to resolve stressors on high-control days.
- Ten years later, that number rose to 65%.
Statistically, the strength of this relationship increased by about 21% across the decade.
This suggests that as people age, not only does their sense of control improve, but they also become better at using that control to deal with stress.
Why Control Matters So Much
The study builds on a well-known psychological idea: perceived control is central to mental health and resilience. Feeling capable of influencing outcomes, even slightly, reduces helplessness and encourages action — two crucial ingredients for emotional stability.
Previous research has shown that people with higher perceived control tend to have better emotional regulation, lower stress hormone levels, and even better physical health. When people feel powerless, by contrast, they are more likely to ruminate, procrastinate, or avoid problems altogether, which only amplifies stress.
This new study adds a valuable twist: it shows that perceived control doesn’t have to be a fixed personality trait. It fluctuates from day to day, and those fluctuations are meaningful. On days when you feel more in control, you’re more likely to actually handle what life throws your way.
The Psychology Behind Perceived Control
To understand why perceived control matters so much, it helps to look at how stress works in the brain and body.
When we face a challenge, our body activates the stress response system — the release of adrenaline and cortisol — to help us react. This system is designed for short-term action. But when people feel that they have no control over stressors, the response doesn’t shut off properly, leading to chronic stress.
Feeling a sense of control, even over small aspects, helps regulate this system. It signals to the brain’s prefrontal cortex — the part involved in planning and problem-solving — that action is possible. This reduces the feeling of threat and promotes calmer, more strategic behavior.
In simple terms, believing you can influence a situation changes how your body and brain respond to it.
Practical Implications: Building a Sense of Control
The researchers behind the Penn State study point out that perceived control can be developed and strengthened. It’s not fixed. Small strategies can make a measurable difference:
- Break challenges into smaller steps. Large, vague goals are intimidating. Dividing them into concrete, achievable tasks can restore a sense of progress.
- Focus on what you can influence. Instead of worrying about what’s outside your reach, redirect energy toward things you can act on.
- Use time-blocking or task lists. Tracking tasks helps visualize control and progress, reducing cognitive overload.
- Ask for support or delegate. Feeling supported increases psychological safety, which in turn boosts perceived control.
- Reflect at the end of each day. A quick review of what you managed to resolve can strengthen the feeling of agency for the next day.
The takeaway is that control isn’t about dominating every situation. It’s about identifying manageable areas where you can make a difference — and that mindset alone has real emotional benefits.
The Bigger Picture: Aging, Control, and Stress
One of the most intriguing findings from this research is that the link between control and stress resolution strengthens with age.
That’s counterintuitive to some: we often assume that aging brings less control — over health, work, or energy levels. But this study suggests that older adults may actually be better at converting a sense of control into effective problem-solving.
Why might this be? Psychologists point to a few possible reasons:
- Experience and perspective. With age, people often become better at identifying what’s worth worrying about and what’s not.
- Improved emotional regulation. Older adults typically react less impulsively and recover faster from emotional setbacks.
- Selective engagement. Older individuals tend to focus their energy on things they can realistically change, conserving emotional resources.
These traits make the “control → resolution” relationship more powerful. In other words, feeling in control means more when you’ve learned where to apply it.
Limitations and Considerations
Like all research, this study has its limits.
- It’s correlational, meaning it shows a link but not direct causation. People who feel more in control might also have other traits — like optimism or better coping skills — that help them resolve stressors.
- The measure of stressor resolution was self-reported, so participants may have subjectively judged whether something was “resolved.”
- The sample lacked racial and socioeconomic diversity, which could affect how generalizable the results are to broader populations.
- The study doesn’t track specific stressors over time, so we don’t know whether feeling in control one day leads to lasting effects.
Still, the findings are robust and statistically strong. The study’s authors emphasize that perceived control can be seen as a modifiable psychological resource, one that can help buffer not just daily stress but possibly even long-term health risks associated with chronic stress.
Beyond the Study: What Science Says About Control and Well-Being
This Penn State study fits into a broader body of research showing that control beliefs are vital for physical and mental health.
- Langer and Rodin’s classic nursing home study (1976) found that residents who were encouraged to make more choices — like arranging their own furniture or caring for a plant — lived longer and reported better well-being.
- Research in positive psychology consistently shows that a sense of autonomy and control predicts greater happiness and resilience.
- In health psychology, perceived control is linked to better recovery outcomes in patients with chronic illnesses and better adherence to treatment plans.
These findings together suggest a common theme: the human mind thrives on a sense of agency. Even when control is partial or symbolic, it helps people stay engaged, proactive, and emotionally balanced.
Conclusion
The Penn State study adds valuable evidence to something we intuitively know but often forget: how we perceive control matters as much as how much control we actually have.
Each day offers moments where we can choose to act — to fix a small problem, make a decision, or seek support. These seemingly small choices compound over time, shaping not just how we handle daily stress, but how we age and adapt.
In short, building a sense of control is one of the simplest, most powerful mental tools for resilience — and it only gets better with age.
