Downward social comparison and subjective well-being in late life: The moderating role of perceived control

Abstract

Objective: Drawing from Heckhausen and Schulz's Motivational Theory of Life-span Development, this study examined perceived control as a moderator of the protective relationship between downward social comparison and subjective well-being among older adults. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 97, 63% female, ages 79–97) were interviewed in their own homes at three time-points over a nine-year period. Interviews assessed older adults’ perceived control over daily tasks, their use of downward social comparison in response to task restriction, and their subjective well-being. Results: Regression analyses yielded a significant interaction between downward social comparison and perceived control for three subjective well-being outcomes: life satisfaction, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. Follow-up analyses revealed that downward social comparison was associated with greater subjective well-being at low levels of perceived control; but was unrelated to subjective well-being at high levels of perceived control. Conclusion: These findings corroborate Heckhausen and Schulz's theorized goal-opportunity congruence premise and have implications for quality-of-life interventions to assist community-dwelling older adults.