Goal-striving Stress and Self-concept: The Moderating Role of Perceived Divine Control

Abstract

No study has investigated whether personal religiousness could modulate goal-striving stress. To address this gap in the literature, the current study tests whether beliefs in divine control moderate the associations between goal-striving stress and self-concept (i.e. self-esteem and mastery). I analyze cross-sectional data from Vanderbilt University’s Nashville Stress and Health Study (2011-2014), a probability sample of non-Hispanic black and white adults aged 22 to 69 living in Davidson County, Tennessee (n = 1,252). Results from multivariate regression models indicated (1) goal-striving stress inversely associated with self-esteem and mastery, net of a number of statistical controls; (2) perceived divine control attenuated the inverse association between goal-striving stress and self-esteem; but (3) perceived divine control amplified the inverse association between goal-striving stress and mastery. Implications, limitations, and avenues for future research are discussed.