Developmental transitions are experienced throughout the life-span and necessitate adapting to significant and unpredictable changes (Heckhausen et al., 2010; Perry, 2003). The shift from high school to university in young adulthood serves as an exemplar of how these challenging junctures can undermine motivation and well-being. Recent evidence suggests that most (85%) young adults making this transition feel overwhelmed, half (50%) experience immense anxiety (ACHA, 2012), and more than one quarter (28%) withdraw from their institutions by the end of their first year (Snyder & Dillow, 2013). The present dissertation was designed to counter these developments by conducting a systematic analysis of whether motivation-focused thinking (selective secondary control) sustained young adults’ goal striving, goal attainment, and well-being based on propositions stemming from the motivational theory of life-span development (Heckhausen et al., 2010). Study 1 comprised a seven-month field study and showed that motivation-focused selective secondary control striving positively predicted young adults use of behavior-focused selective primary control strategies, which in turn influenced academic performance. Study 2 was based on a seven-month field study and built on Study 1 by demonstrating that increasing selective secondary control striving was related to lower levels of depressive and stress-related physical symptoms for young adults with low high school grades. These effects were mediated by theoretically-derived mechanisms involving selective primary control and discrete emotions. Building on the preceding studies, Study 3 involved a seven-month, pre-post, field design and showed that students with low high school grades and high perceived control who received a motivation-enhancing selective secondary control treatment attained year-end course grades that were 8% higher than their no-treatment peers (74.85% vs. 66.68%). Consistent with theory, treatment effects were mediated by selective secondary and primary control strategies and emotions. Findings from these studies advance the literature by documenting previously unexplored antecedents, consequences, mediators, moderators, and manipulations (treatment) of selective secondary control for young adults in the midst of a challenging life course transition. / October 2016

The perception of and actual ability to control emotional responses during stressful, taxing situations are important to an individual’s well-being. Studies have shown that both low perceived control and a low actual ability for emotional control are related to internalizing and externalizing problems in youth. However, significant gaps in research exist in terms of testing theoretical predictions about how perceived and actual emotional control are associated with anxiety and aggressive behavior problems, particularly among adolescents. The first goal of this study was to examine two objective measures of actual control (i.e., vagal tone and vagal regulation) and their link with anxiety and aggressive behavior problems in youth ages 11-17 years. The second goal was to examine individual differences in youths’ ability to voluntarily control their heart rate and its association with youths’ perceived control and/or anxiety and aggressive behavior. The final goal was to expand upon Scott and Weems’ (2010) recent work by testing an adapted model of control using these two measures of actual emotional control. Eighty youth (aged 11-17 years; 51% female; 37.5% African American) and their primary caregivers participated in this study. Youth completed a physiological assessment in which they watched a relaxing video, rested quietly, increased and decreased their heart rate, and performed a mildly challenging cognitive task while their heart rate, skin conductance and body temperature were measured. Youth and their caregivers also completed questionnaires measuring youths’ anxiety, aggression, and perceived control. The results indicated that resting vagal tone (i.e., high frequency – heart rate variability) was negatively associated with anxiety symptoms (and perceived anxiety control) in this adolescent sample but not aggression. Conversely, anxiety (child-reported) and aggression (parent-reported) were both associated with a maladaptive vagal augmentation in response to a challenging cognitive task. The findings also suggested there were individual differences in youths’ heart rate control (but were better at increasing it) and that less change in increasing heart rate was related to more child-reported anxiety symptoms. However, the results did not provide support for differential of prediction of anxiety symptoms versus aggressive behavior problems between control profiles.

La fatigue associée au cancer est un symptôme subjectif et envahissant, en lien avec la maladie et ses traitements, et qui impacte considérablement la qualité de vie des patients. Cette étude a deux objectifs fondamentaux : (1) identifier différentes trajectoires de fatigue chez des patients suivis en chimiothérapie, et (2) identifier certains déterminants psychosociaux de ces trajectoires de fatigue. Au total, 169 patients ont été́ évalués sur leur niveau de fatigue dès l'initiation d'un nouveau cycle de chimiothérapie, puis toutes les deux semaines sur une période de 6 mois. Quatre trajectoires de fatigue physique ont été́ identifiées : 1) une trajectoire de « fatigue intense » (6,51% des patients), 2) une trajectoire de « fatigue moyenne » (48,52%), 3) une trajectoire de « fatigue en augmentation » au cours du temps caractérisée par des patients non fatigués à l'inclusion (11,83%), et enfin 4) une trajectoire de patients résilients qui ne rapportent « pas de fatigue » durant les traitements (33,14%). S’il apparait que la fatigue physique et la dépression soit fortement associée, les résultats montrent également qu'une mauvaise adaptation (coping centré sur l’émotion) et peu de contrôle sur l'évolution de la maladie contribuent à l'intensité et l'augmentation de la fatigue au cours du temps. L'identification de variables transactionnelles dans l'explication d'un tel symptôme permet d'envisager des prises en charge psychosociales adaptées, tournées vers une médecine plus personnalisée. / Cancer-related fatigue is a subjective and pervasive symptom, related to the disease and its treatments, and has a significant impact on patients' quality of life. This study has two fundamental goals: (1) to identify different fatigue trajectories in metastatic colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy; (2) to identify psychosocial determinants of these fatigue trajectories. A total of 169 patients were assessed for their level of fatigue at the beginning of a new chemotherapy cycle, and were subsequently followed every two weeks. Psychosocial variables such as anxiety, depression, perceived control, coping strategies, and social support were measured from the start. Four trajectories of physical fatigue were identified: 1) a trajectory of "intense fatigue" (6.51%), 2) a trajectory of "average fatigue" (48.52%), 3) an "increasing fatigue" trajectory over time characterized by non-fatigued patients at the inclusion (11.83%); finally, 4) a trajectory of resilient patients who report "no fatigue" during treatment (33.14%). While it appears that physical fatigue and depression are strongly associated, the results also show that poor adaptation (emotionally-focused coping) and little control over the evolution of the disease contribute to the intensity and the increase of fatigue over time.The identification of transactional variables in the explanation of this symptom makes it possible to envisage adapted psychosocial care, turned towards personalized medicine.

Heart failure (HF) is one of the top causes of mortality in the United States and globally. In order to combat the high mortality rates of this disease, medical technology, including internal cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), have become one of the most common treatments. Over the past 10 years the utilization of these cardiac devices has increased exponentially, which has created a new phenomenon of how we discuss death with patients who have one of these devices. The purpose of this dissertation is to increase understanding of the end-of-life decision making processes and current experiences that patients with a cardiac device are having. This dissertation includes four original manuscripts that focus on patients with a cardiac device and their experiences with decision-making at the end-of-life. The first paper is a data-based paper that examines experiences of patients with an ICD and what factors are associated with having a conversation with their providers about end-of-life. The second paper is an integrative review of the literature regarding what is currently known about end-of-life with an LVAD. The third paper is a psychometric evaluation of the Control Attitudes Scale-Revised (CAS-R) for patients with an LVAD. The fourth paper is a data-based manuscript that looks at patients with an LVAD and their attitudes and experiences with end-of-life conversations with providers and next-of-kin and the impact of cognition on these attitudes and experiences. The findings of this dissertation will hopefully inform providers of patients with cardiac devices about their patients end-of-life decision making processes. It will also demonstrate the gaps that are currently in practice, and ideally be able expand on how to assist patients and providers on improving communication about end-of-life decision making.

PhD / People with a chronic illness, such as Parkinson’s disease, often live in the community for many years while the illness becomes progressively more debilitating. Little is known about how such people control the impact the disease has upon their various roles in life. This study employed naturalistic qualitative research methods to investigate how people with Parkinson’s disease and their partners continue to actively participate as members of their social community. Using in-depth semi-structured, focused interviews, participants with Parkinson’s disease and their partners were asked to name and describe roles that occupied their daily activity. They were asked about their most significant occupational roles, what they did in these roles, the knowledge or strategies they employed to deal with barriers to occupational role performance, and the personal meaning such roles held. Four basic themes evolved from the data: the impact of the disease on occupational role performance, or ‘doing’, secondary personal limitations to occupational role performance, secondary social limitations to occupational role performance and cumulative barriers to occupational role performance. Loss of control over choice and manner of engagement in occupational roles was a significant element of all four themes. Sense of self and sense of social fit were identified as major elements that informed participants’ perceptions of control. Participants described a range of diverse responses that they used to actively restore personal control of occupational performance in the face of degenerative illness. Learning new coping styles appeared to be underpinned by a personal set of rules or ‘blueprint’, despite professional input. This blueprint was actualised through a problem identification, problem solving and active engagement cycle that was termed a cycle of control. A conceptual model of a cycle of control was proposed as the final stage of the research. The model represented a way of describing how participants acted to restore a sense of personal control once a specific barrier to occupational role performance had been perceived. The findings of this study support the notion that people with chronic illness, such as Parkinson’s disease, are active and knowledgeable participants in health care, and have occupational histories and experiences that they harness when dealing with barriers to performance. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that people with chronic illness work in tandem with significant role partners to constantly maintain the valued partnership in meaningful occupational roles as the disease progresses. A greater understanding of how people with chronic illness and their partners strive to maintain a sense of personal control can enable occupational therapists to work effectively as ancillary partners in care. A greater understanding of the way in which role partners work together to maintain occupational integrity in their lives would be central to assessment and intervention for community programs for people with chronic illness.

The evidence that treatment of life-threatening arrhythmia (LTA) with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) can prolong life is convincing. Living with a lifelong heart disease will gradually influence the everyday life and encompasses some or all aspects of life. In order to influence health outcomes, the impact of the ICD must be considered in a broader context including not only the physical, but also the psychological and social functioning of the individual. The general aim of this thesis was to describe everyday life in recipients living with an ICD in a longterm perspective. The aim in Paper I was to describe changes in the life situation of recipients’ with an ICD over a period of 1 year. The aim in Paper II was to describe quality of life (QOL) and uncertainty in recipients who have an ICD and to predict QOL at long-term follow-up. Fifty-six recipients participated (I) and 35 of these recipients, who had survived at least five years, were further included (II). The Quality of Life Index-Cardiac version (I, II), Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community version (I, II), Patient ICD Questionnaire (I) and multiple regression analysis (II) were used. Higher scores indicate higher QOL and uncertainty. The questionnaires were completed before implantation, three and twelve months after implantation (I) and also five years after implantation i.e. long-term follow up (II). At the long-term follow up, the average ICD recipient had lived with an ICD for six years and nine months (6.9 years). The results showed the overall QOL and QOL in the health/functioning domain were unchanged over time. QOL in the socio-economic (p= .002) and psychological/spiritual domains (p= .012) decreased in the first year. From baseline to long-term follow up, the QOL in the family domain (p= .011) and overall uncertainty (p= .002) decreased. Uncertainty related to the information decreased at year 1 in relation to baseline (p= .001). The aim in Paper III was to illuminate the main concern of recipients living with an ICD and how they handle this in their daily life. Sixteen recipients who had lived with an ICD between six to twenty-four months were interviewed. Data was collected and analysed in a simultaneous process according to guidelines for classical grounded theory. In the analysis, a substantive theory was generated explaining the main concern of ICD recipients and how they handle this in their daily life. The core category, labelled “Striving to resume command”, illuminates the main concern of ICD recipients. To manage this main concern, the recipients used the following strategies: Economizing resources, Distracting oneself, Submitting to one’s fate and Re-evaluating life. The aim in Paper IV was to explore relationships between OQL, coping strategies, anxiety, depression and perceived control in recipients living with an ICD and to compare those having received an ICD less or more than one year ago and those with a primary or secondary preventive indication. A cross-sectional, correlational, multicenter design was used, and 147 recipients who had lived with an ICD between six to twenty-four months completed Quality of Life Index-Cardiac version, Jalowiec Coping Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Control Attitude Scale. The results showed that anxiety, depression and perceived control were predictors of QOL. Anxiety was also a predictor of coping with optimistic coping being the most used coping strategy. There was no relationship between QOL and coping. No differences were found in QOL, coping, anxiety, depression and perceived control between recipients implanted either on a primary or secondary preventive indication or having the device less or more than one year. In this thesis, it was concluded that the ICD recipients strived to resume command over their life (III) and the more control the recipients perceived the more satisfied they were with their QOL (IV) and the more symptoms of anxiety, depression and uncertainty they experienced the less satisfied they were with their QOL (II, IV). Coping strategies were used more frequently by ICD recipient perceiving more anxiety (IV). QOL was fairly good 6,9 years after implantation and ICD recipients felt less uncertain once they had passed the first year of their illness.

The evidence that treatment of life-threatening arrhythmia (LTA) with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) can prolong life is convincing. Living with a lifelong heart disease will gradually influence the everyday life and encompasses some or all aspects of life. In order to influence health outcomes, the impact of the ICD must be considered in a broader context including not only the physical, but also the psychological and social functioning of the individual. The general aim of this thesis was to describe everyday life in recipients living with an ICD in a longterm perspective. The aim in Paper I was to describe changes in the life situation of recipients’ with an ICD over a period of 1 year. The aim in Paper II was to describe quality of life (QOL) and uncertainty in recipients who have an ICD and to predict QOL at long-term follow-up. Fifty-six recipients participated (I) and 35 of these recipients, who had survived at least five years, were further included (II). The Quality of Life Index-Cardiac version (I, II), Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community version (I, II), Patient ICD Questionnaire (I) and multiple regression analysis (II) were used. Higher scores indicate higher QOL and uncertainty. The questionnaires were completed before implantation, three and twelve months after implantation (I) and also five years after implantation i.e. long-term follow up (II). At the long-term follow up, the average ICD recipient had lived with an ICD for six years and nine months (6.9 years). The results showed the overall QOL and QOL in the health/functioning domain were unchanged over time. QOL in the socio-economic (p= .002) and psychological/spiritual domains (p= .012) decreased in the first year. From baseline to long-term follow up, the QOL in the family domain (p= .011) and overall uncertainty (p= .002) decreased. Uncertainty related to the information decreased at year 1 in relation to baseline (p= .001). The aim in Paper III was to illuminate the main concern of recipients living with an ICD and how they handle this in their daily life. Sixteen recipients who had lived with an ICD between six to twenty-four months were interviewed. Data was collected and analysed in a simultaneous process according to guidelines for classical grounded theory. In the analysis, a substantive theory was generated explaining the main concern of ICD recipients and how they handle this in their daily life. The core category, labelled “Striving to resume command”, illuminates the main concern of ICD recipients. To manage this main concern, the recipients used the following strategies: Economizing resources, Distracting oneself, Submitting to one’s fate and Re-evaluating life. The aim in Paper IV was to explore relationships between OQL, coping strategies, anxiety, depression and perceived control in recipients living with an ICD and to compare those having received an ICD less or more than one year ago and those with a primary or secondary preventive indication. A cross-sectional, correlational, multicenter design was used, and 147 recipients who had lived with an ICD between six to twenty-four months completed Quality of Life Index-Cardiac version, Jalowiec Coping Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Control Attitude Scale. The results showed that anxiety, depression and perceived control were predictors of QOL. Anxiety was also a predictor of coping with optimistic coping being the most used coping strategy. There was no relationship between QOL and coping. No differences were found in QOL, coping, anxiety, depression and perceived control between recipients implanted either on a primary or secondary preventive indication or having the device less or more than one year. In this thesis, it was concluded that the ICD recipients strived to resume command over their life (III) and the more control the recipients perceived the more satisfied they were with their QOL (IV) and the more symptoms of anxiety, depression and uncertainty they experienced the less satisfied they were with their QOL (II, IV). Coping strategies were used more frequently by ICD recipient perceiving more anxiety (IV). QOL was fairly good 6,9 years after implantation and ICD recipients felt less uncertain once they had passed the first year of their illness.

This study aims to address the organizational temporality issues based upon the theory of time, interaction, and performance and self-regulation perspective. This study demonstrates the multi-level main effects of both team-level temporal norm and individual temporal perception and also the cross level moderating effects of team temporal management practices. This study answers the calls of incorporating temporal constructs in explaining team members¡¦ performance and exploring these issues within the formal consideration of multilevel modeling. This study also links the needed flexibility and temporality in modern manufacturing context with employee adaptive performance and temporal characteristics of team members. Specifically, this study collects data from 132 teams and 488 employees from southern Taiwan¡¦s Export Process Zones. Results demonstrates that team level polychronicity and individual level perceived control of time act as significant antecedents of employee adaptive performance after controlling individual personality characteristics. Moreover, team temporal management practices consisted of temporal planning, temporal reminders, and temporal reflexivity as a bundle quadratically enhance the linkage between employees¡¦ perceived control of time and their adaptivity.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of social support, perceived control, locus of control and demand on adopting coping strategies to deal with workto- family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC). A questionnaire was administered to Turkish dual-career couples with diverse occupational backgrounds (N = 300). Results suggested that (a) those who received social supported adopt problem-focused coping strategies through the effect of having high perceived control, (b) those with external locus of control adopted emotion-focused coping strategies which in turn increased family-to-work conflict, but not such relationship was observed on work-to-family conflict, and (c) work/home demands moderated the relationship between perceived control and coping strategies only when it was measured as a combination of both self-reports and objective demand indices. Practical implications of the findings are discussed along with the limitations of the study.

This research relies on Ferris et al.¡]2002¡^ perceptions of organizational politics revision model, discussion ¡§perceptions of organizational politics¡¨ right ¡§organization politics behavior¡¨ influence, and further confirms ¡§understanding¡¨, ¡§perceived control¡¨ and ¡§locus of control¡¨, ¡§type A personality¡¨, ¡§general self-efficacy¡¨ and ¡§job self-efficacy¡¨ and so on personal characteristics to be right ¡§perceptions of organizational politics and the organization politics behavior relations¡¨ the disturbance effect. This research altogether provides 2,133 questionnaire, recycles 1,940 questionnaire, the effective questionnaire is 1,890, the findings discovered: 1.Perceptions of organizational politics is not remarkable to the organization politics behavior is related. 2.¡§understanding¡¨, ¡§perceived control¡¨ and ¡§locus of control¡¨, ¡§type A personality¡¨, ¡§general self-efficacy¡¨ and ¡§job self-efficacy¡¨ and so on personal characteristics to be right ¡§perceptions of organizational politics and the political behavior¡¨ the part assumes the remarkable disturbance. 3.The salary is promoted the policy and the actual execution disparity too big strengthening perceptions of organizational politics existence, produces the perceptions of organizational politics important ingredient, then causes the organization members to seek a bigger advantage using the political behavior.