The Role of Perceived Control in the Stress–Anxiety Pathway: Exploring Acute Temporal Dynamics and Contextual Boundaries

Abstract

Perceived control has been identified as a key trait that buffers the stress–anxiety pathway. However, the extent to which perceived control exerts its protective effect across varying magnitudes of stressors remains understudied. Moreover, questions remain regarding when and how perceived control disrupts the stress–anxiety link. In the present study, we examine how perceived control influences subjective stress and state anxiety under various levels of stress exposure. Two hundred twenty-five adults (age: M  = 26.4 years, SD  = 10.8) were randomly assigned to either a low-stress or high-stress condition. Linear regressions, linear mixed-effects models, and moderated mediation path analyses were performed. Perceived control attenuated the effects of stress exposure on subjective stress and anxiety symptoms only in the high-stress condition. Path analyses revealed that perceived control indirectly influenced anxiety symptoms by reducing subjective-stress reactivity. Perceived control may buffer against the psychological impact of high-stress contexts by reducing subjective-stress reactivity to prevent downstream anxiety symptoms.