Testing Hypotheses Distilled from Four Models of the Effects of Health-Related Social Control

Abstract

This study distilled and tested hypotheses derived from four models of the effects of social control on affect and health behavior among 401 college students involved in heterosexual dating relationships. Each model received at least some support. Consistent with the dual effects model, social control strategies predicted both health behavior change and negative affect. In accord with the domain-specific model, positive social control was related to positive affect and negative social control was related to negative affect. In partial support of the mediational model, positive social control exerted both a direct and an indirect effect via positive affect on health behavior change and negative social control exerted both a direct and an indirect effect via negative affect on hiding unhealthy behavior. As predicted by the contextual model, quality of dating relationship moderated the influence of positive and negative social control on hiding unhealthy behavior.