Distinct trajectories of perceived control over aversive stimulation predict affective reactions to stressors over and above objective control.

Psychological theories and evidence from animal and human studies highlight the importance of stressor controllability for affective stress reactions. In addition to objective control, i.e. action-outcome contingencies, higher subjective perceptions of control and trait-like control beliefs such as self-efficacy have been linked to more resilient stress outcomes. Hence, facets of perceived control may compensate for an objective lack of control. In a randomized, controlled behavioral study in healthy young adults, we studied the effect of experimentally manipulated objective control over aversive stimulation and perceived control as rated by the participants, on affective responses and tested whether a self-efficacy manipulation would buffer against the negative effects of uncontrollable stress. 168 participants were assigned to groups experiencing no (NO-STRESS), controllable (CON), uncontrollable (UNCON), or uncontrollable aversive stimulation preceded by an autobiographical self-efficacy manipulation (UNCON-HSE) while concurrently rating perceived control. The CON group reported lower helplessness and, for women, lower negative affect than the UNCON group. The self-efficacy manipulation had no effect on self-efficacy or affect. Latent class growth analysis of perceived control trajectories revealed three classes with low, rising, and medium perceived control. Compared to the rising and medium classes, the low class reported more helplessness and depression and, for women, a greater increase in negative affect. Perceived control may thus be a valuable target for resilience interventions and depression therapy.