The Relationship Between Self-Regulatory Strategies, Daily Stress, and Negative Affect in College Females: An Analysis of Typical Levels and Intraindividual Variability

Abstract

Emerging adults exist in a highly transitional time during which they juggle many short-term and long-term goals, all while adjusting to greater independence. This independence may require enhanced personal motivation and self-regulation for successful goal attainment. In the present study, 88 college women reported their use of three self-regulatory strategies (goal commitment, lowering aspirations, and positive reappraisal), then reported current negative affect (NA) and stress thrice daily for 1 week. Results of multilevel modeling demonstrate that goal commitment is associated with significantly reduced intraindividual variability in NA across time points, and lowering aspirations is associated with significantly increased variability. A nonsignificant trend demonstrated that individuals who reported greater use of reappraisal strategies also demonstrated marginally significantly less NA on high-stress occasions. Results inform understanding of self-regulatory development and point toward effective areas of intervention for emerging adults struggling during the transition to college.