TitleIntraindividual change and variability in daily stress processes: findings from two measurement-burst diary studies.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsSliwinski, MJ, Almeida, DM, Smyth, J, Stawski, RS
JournalPsychol Aging
Volume24
Issue4
Pagination828-40
Date Published2009 Dec
ISSN1939-1498
KeywordsAdult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Female, Humans, Individuality, Life Change Events, Male, Medical Records, Middle Aged, Psychology, Stress, Psychological, Surveys and Questionnaires, Time Factors
Abstract

<p>There is little longitudinal information on aging-related changes in emotional responses to negative events. In the present article, we examined intraindividual change and variability in the within-person coupling of daily stress and negative affect using data from 2 measurement-burst daily diary studies. Three main findings emerged. First, average reactivity to daily stress increased longitudinally, and this increase was evident across most of the adult lifespan. Second, individual differences in emotional reactivity to daily stress exhibited long-term temporal stability, but this stability was greatest in midlife and decreased in old age. Third, reactivity to daily stress varied reliably within-persons (across-time), with individuals exhibiting higher levels of reactivity during times when reporting high levels of global subject stress in the previous month. Taken together, the present results emphasize the importance of modeling dynamic psychosocial and aging processes that operate across different time scales for understanding age-related changes in daily stress processes.</p>

DOI10.1037/a0017925
Alternate JournalPsychol Aging
PubMed ID20025399
PubMed Central IDPMC2857711
Grant ListT32 MH018904 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG012448-06A2 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG026728 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG0210166-02 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG012448 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG026453 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG012448-10 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG19239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
AG026728 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG019239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG026728-02 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG12448 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG026728-01A1 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States