Characterizing stress tolerance: “controllability awareness” and its relationship to perceived stress and reported health

“Controllability awareness” describes the extent to which an individualʹs responses to life situations reflect attention to distinctions between controllable and uncontrollable aspects of potential outcomes. The construct recognizes four aspects of controllability: personal control of outcomes, shared control of outcomes, others in responsibility, and uncontrollable/unpredictable outcomes. Lacking a suitable measurement instrument, the Controllability Awareness Inventory (CAI) was developed and used to assess controllability awareness as a characteristic of stress tolerance. Results indicate that individuals with a greater tendency to respond based on an awareness of the controllability of potential outcomes perceive their lives as less stressful, report themselves to be in better health, and think in ways that enable them to manage environmental demands more effectively. Controllability awareness training to help reduce perceived stress and promote health is discussed.