Perceived chronic stress and implicit motives in middle-aged men

Abstract

For an individual, the experience of chronic stress may result in reduced well-being and mental health. However, these relationships can be influenced by personality characteristics. This thesis aimed to investigate the role of implicit motives in perceived chronic stress and its association with mental health. In study 1, subtypes of work-related and social stress were positively associated with vital exhaustion. Implicit motives for affiliation and achievement were linked to social support and chronic stress, and indirectly to vital exhaustion. Moreover, they moderated certain relationships between stress and exhaustion. In study 2, fathers with biological children rated their degree of perceived constraint due to fatherhood (PC) as well as life satisfaction. PC had a negative influence on life satisfaction. A higher implicit need for affiliation was significantly associated with lower PC, whereas the implicit need for power had the opposite effect. Structural equation modeling revealed significant indirect effects of implicit affiliation and power motives on life satisfaction mediated by PC. In conclusion, implicit motives are key factors in the stress process: They are involved in an individual’s experience of stress and stress-related consequences for mental health.