{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T07:23:00Z","timestamp":1776496980922,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]],"date-time":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1659484800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\"><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Previous research suggests that romantic relationships play a crucial role for perceived control. However, we know surprisingly little about changes in perceived control before and after the end of romantic relationships.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec002\"><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Based on data from the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), a nationally representative household panel study from Germany, we examined changes of perceived control in the years around separation from a partner (<jats:italic>N =<\/jats:italic>1,235), divorce (<jats:italic>N =<\/jats:italic>423), and the death of a partner (<jats:italic>N =<\/jats:italic>437).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec003\"><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Multilevel analyses revealed that external control beliefs were higher in but not beyond the first year after separation from a partner. Internal and total control beliefs increased gradually in the years after separation. Moreover, internal control beliefs were higher in and especially beyond the first year after the death of a partner compared to the years before. No evidence was found that perceived control already changed in the years before relationship losses or in the years around a divorce.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec004\"><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Taken together, these findings point toward stress-related growth of perceived control after some relationship losses\u2013especially separation and the death of a partner.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0268598","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]],"date-time":"2022-08-03T17:24:57Z","timestamp":1659547497000},"page":"e0268598","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Personality growth after relationship losses: Changes of perceived control in the years around separation, divorce, and the death of a partner"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2132-8852","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Eva","family":"Asselmann","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jule","family":"Specht","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1037\/a0017668","article-title":"A Motivational Theory of Lifespan Development.","volume":"117","author":"J Heckhausen","year":"2010","journal-title":"Psychological Review"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref002","first-page":"35","volume-title":"Perceived control and the development of coping.","author":"EA Skinner","year":"2011"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0268598.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1037\/a0028243","article-title":"Everything under control? The effects of age, gender, and education on trajectories of perceived control in a nationally representative German sample.","volume":"49","author":"J Specht","year":"2013","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0268598.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.1177\/1948550610384635","article-title":"The benefits of believing in chance or fate: External locus of control as a protective factor for coping with the death of a spouse","volume":"2","author":"J Specht","year":"2011","journal-title":"Social Psychological and Personality Science"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref005","first-page":"143","volume-title":"The rise and fall of control beliefs and life satisfaction in adulthood: Trajectories of stability and change over ten years","author":"ME Lachman","year":"2009"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1037\/a0021022","article-title":"Examining dynamic links between perceived control and health: Longitudinal evidence for differential effects in midlife and old age.","volume":"47","author":"FJ Infurna","year":"2011","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1093\/geronb\/gbq077","article-title":"Antecedent\u2013consequent relations of perceived control to health and social support: Longitudinal evidence for between-domain associations across adulthood.","volume":"66","author":"D Gerstorf","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1037\/a0030208","article-title":"Perceived control relates to better functional health and lower cardio-metabolic risk: The mediating role of physical activity.","volume":"33","author":"FJ Infurna","year":"2014","journal-title":"Health Psychology"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"839","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.46.4.839","article-title":"Personal control and stress and coping processes: a theoretical analysis","volume":"46","author":"S. Folkman","year":"1984","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.clinpsy.3.022806.091520","article-title":"Coping resources, coping processes, and mental health.","volume":"3","author":"SE Taylor","year":"2007","journal-title":"Annual Review of Clinical Psychology"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1037\/h0092976","article-title":"Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.","volume":"80","author":"JB Rotter","year":"1966","journal-title":"Psychological Monographs: General and Applied."},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0268598.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"549","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.71.3.549","article-title":"A guide to constructs of control","volume":"71","author":"EA Skinner","year":"1996","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref013","first-page":"15","volume-title":"Research with the locus of control construct:Assessment methods.","author":"HM Lefcourt","year":"1981"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0268598.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"580","DOI":"10.1177\/0146167297236002","article-title":"The internal-external scale confounds internal locus of control with expectancies of positive outcomes.","volume":"23","author":"CS Carver","year":"1997","journal-title":"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/0191-8869(88)90032-3","article-title":"Generalized locus of control: An analysis of factor analytic data.","volume":"9","author":"WN Coombs","year":"1988","journal-title":"Personality and Individual Differences"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0268598.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"559","DOI":"10.1037\/a0022890","article-title":"Long-term antecedents and outcomes of perceived control.","volume":"26","author":"FJ Infurna","year":"2011","journal-title":"Psychology and Aging"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0268598.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"771","DOI":"10.1136\/jech-2017-208992","article-title":"Impact of perceived control on all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in three urban populations of Central and Eastern Europe: the HAPIEE study","volume":"71","author":"M Kozela","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0268598.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1833","DOI":"10.1037\/a0031041","article-title":"Level and change in perceived control predict 19-year mortality: Findings from the Americans\u2019 changing lives study.","volume":"49","author":"FJ Infurna","year":"2013","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology."},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"P165","DOI":"10.1093\/geronj\/46.4.P165","article-title":"Perceived controllability of expected psychological change across adulthood and old age","volume":"46","author":"J Heckhausen","year":"1991","journal-title":"Journal of Gerontology"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0268598.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1805","DOI":"10.1037\/a0031340","article-title":"Age and time-to-death trajectories of change in indicators of cognitive, sensory, physical, health, social, and self-related functions.","volume":"49","author":"D Gerstorf","year":"2013","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology."},{"issue":"570","key":"pone.0268598.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"F358","DOI":"10.1111\/ecoj.12069","article-title":"Two economists\u2019 musings on the stability of locus of control","volume":"123","author":"DA Cobb\u2010Clark","year":"2013","journal-title":"The Economic Journal"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0268598.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1002\/per.1959","article-title":"Developmental tasks as a framework to study personality development in adulthood and old age","volume":"28","author":"R Hutteman","year":"2014","journal-title":"European Journal of Personality"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0268598.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"611","DOI":"10.1037\/0012-1649.23.5.611","article-title":"Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology: On the dynamics between growth and decline.","volume":"23","author":"PB Baltes","year":"1987","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology."},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1080\/1461673042000303136","article-title":"Attachment and close relationships across the life span.","volume":"6","author":"T Antonucci","year":"2004","journal-title":"Attachment & Human Development."},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0268598.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.84.2.191","article-title":"Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change.","volume":"84","author":"A. Bandura","year":"1977","journal-title":"Psychological Review"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0268598.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"434","DOI":"10.1037\/pspi0000020","article-title":"Close relationships and self-regulation: How relationship satisfaction facilitates momentary goal pursuit","volume":"109","author":"W Hofmann","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0268598.ref027","first-page":"807","article-title":"Perceived control and social activity in midlife and older age: A reciprocal association? Findings from the German Ageing Survey.","volume":"73","author":"RG Curtis","year":"2018","journal-title":"The Journals of Gerontology: Series B."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1037\/pag0000143","article-title":"Perceived control across the second half of life: The role of physical health and social integration.","volume":"32","author":"J Drewelies","year":"2017","journal-title":"Psychology and Aging."},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"659","DOI":"10.1111\/jopy.12517","article-title":"Till death do us part: Transactions between losing one\u2019s spouse and the Big Five personality traits","volume":"88","author":"E Asselmann","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Personality"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0268598.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1803","DOI":"10.1037\/dev0001047","article-title":"Taking the ups and downs at the rollercoaster of love: Associations between major life events in the domain of romantic relationships and the Big Five personality traits.","volume":"56","author":"E Asselmann","year":"2020","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology."},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"612","DOI":"10.1037\/pspp0000196","article-title":"Transactions between life events and personality traits across the adult lifespan","volume":"116","author":"JJ Denissen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0268598.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"592","DOI":"10.1037\/a0025948","article-title":"Subjective well-being and adaptation to life events: a meta-analysis","volume":"102","author":"M Luhmann","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0268598.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8721.2007.00479.x","article-title":"Adaptation and the set-point model of subjective well-being: Does happiness change after major life events?","volume":"16","author":"RE Lucas","year":"2007","journal-title":"Current Directions in Psychological Science"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0268598.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"945","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9280.2005.01642.x","article-title":"Time does not heal all wounds: A longitudinal study of reaction and adaptation to divorce","volume":"16","author":"RE Lucas","year":"2005","journal-title":"Psychological Science"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0268598.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"527","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.84.3.527","article-title":"Reexamining adaptation and the set point model of happiness: reactions to changes in marital status","volume":"84","author":"RE Lucas","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0268598.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"899","DOI":"10.1017\/S0144686X15001543","article-title":"Changes in life satisfaction when losing one\u2019s spouse: individual differences in anticipation, reaction, adaptation and longevity in the German Socio-economic Panel Study (SOEP).","volume":"37","author":"FJ Infurna","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ageing & Society."},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0268598.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1444","DOI":"10.1037\/pspp0000270","article-title":"Trajectories of life satisfaction before, upon, and after divorce: Evidence from a new matching approach","volume":"119","author":"MA Van Scheppingen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0268598.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1037\/pspp0000109","article-title":"Transitions in romantic relationships and development of self-esteem.","volume":"112","author":"Luciano external control beliefs, Orth U","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1111\/jopy.12525","article-title":"Charting self\u2010esteem during marital dissolution","volume":"89","author":"W Bleidorn","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Personality"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1177\/0265407517721065","article-title":"Marriage as a training ground: Examining change in self-control and forgiveness over the first 4 years of marriage","volume":"36","author":"TM Pronk","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Social and Personal Relationships"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref041","first-page":"361","article-title":"Stress-related growth following divorce and relationship dissolution.","author":"T Tashiro","year":"2006","journal-title":"Handbook of divorce and relationship dissolution."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1111\/1475-6811.00039","article-title":"\u201cI\u2019ll never be in a relationship like that again\u201d: Personal growth following romantic relationship breakups.","volume":"10","author":"T Tashiro","year":"2003","journal-title":"Personal Relationships"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.53841\/bpscpr.2013.28.4.18","article-title":"Post-traumatic growth following bereavement: A systematic review of the literature.","volume":"28","author":"C Michael","year":"2013","journal-title":"Counselling Psychology Review"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-843X.87.1.49","article-title":"Learned helplessness in humans: critique and reformulation","volume":"87","author":"LY Abramson","year":"1978","journal-title":"Journal of Abnormal Psychology"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1300\/J279v03n04_05","article-title":"Divorce and belief in internal versus external control of one\u2019s life: Data from a national probability sample","volume":"3","author":"WJ Doherty","year":"1980","journal-title":"Journal of Divorce"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"831","DOI":"10.2307\/352990","article-title":"Marriage and the sense of control","volume":"53","author":"CE Ross","year":"1991","journal-title":"Journal of Marriage and the Family"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2018.01.017","article-title":"Events associated with stability and change in adult locus of control orientation over a six-year period.","volume":"126","author":"S Nowicki","year":"2018","journal-title":"Personality and Individual Differences"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0268598.ref048","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"834","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.44.4.834","article-title":"Impact of divorce on locus of control orientation in adult women: A longitudinal study","volume":"44","author":"WJ Doherty","year":"1983","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"20","key":"pone.0268598.ref049","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1936","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMsa035373","article-title":"End-of-life care and the effects of bereavement on family caregivers of persons with dementia","volume":"349","author":"R Schulz","year":"2003","journal-title":"New England Journal of Medicine"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1037\/1089-2680.5.1.62","article-title":"Gender differences in adjustment to bereavement: An empirical and theoretical review.","volume":"5","author":"M. Stroebe","year":"2001","journal-title":"Review of General Psychology"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref051","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1037\/0882-7974.5.1.58","article-title":"Tenacious goal pursuit and flexible goal adjustment: Explication and age-related analysis of assimilative and accommodative strategies of coping.","volume":"5","author":"J Brandtst\u00e4dter","year":"1990","journal-title":"Psychology and Aging."},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0268598.ref052","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"926","DOI":"10.1037\/pspp0000095","article-title":"The multidimensional nature of resilience to spousal loss","volume":"112","author":"FJ Infurna","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0268598.ref053","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1024569803230","article-title":"Socioemotional selectivity theory and the regulation of emotion in the second half of life.","volume":"27","author":"LL Carstensen","year":"2003","journal-title":"Motivation and Emotion"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0268598.ref054","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1515\/jbnst-2018-0022","article-title":"The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).","volume":"239","author":"J Goebel","year":"2019","journal-title":"Jahrb\u00fccher f\u00fcr National\u00f6konomie und Statistik"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref055","volume-title":"SOEP-Core\u2013Documentation of Sample Sizes and Panel Attrition (1984 until 2016). SOEP Survey Papers 480: Series C.","author":"M Kroh","year":"2018"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref056","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jvb.2016.01.006","article-title":"Maintaining perceived control with unemployment facilitates future adjustment","volume":"93","author":"FJ Infurna","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Vocational Behavior"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref057","volume-title":"Biased by success and failure: How unemployment shapes stated locus of control","author":"M Preuss","year":"2017"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref058","volume-title":"Stata Statistical Software: Release 15","author":"StataCorp","year":"2017"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0268598.ref059","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1002\/per.2269","article-title":"Testing the Social Investment Principle around childbirth: Little evidence for personality maturation before and after becoming a parent","volume":"35","author":"E Asselmann","year":"2021","journal-title":"European Journal of Personality"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"pone.0268598.ref060","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.5334\/pb-50-1-2-125","article-title":"Positive outcomes following bereavement: Paths to posttraumatic growth.","volume":"50","author":"L Calhoun","year":"2010","journal-title":"Psychologica Belgica."},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0268598.ref061","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"256","DOI":"10.1002\/per.1951","article-title":"Studying changes in life circumstances and personality: It\u2019s about time","volume":"28","author":"M Luhmann","year":"2014","journal-title":"European Journal of Personality"},{"key":"pone.0268598.ref062","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"480","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2019.11.112","article-title":"Changes in psychopathological symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery: A prospective-longitudinal study in women with and without anxiety and depressive disorders prior to pregnancy","volume":"263","author":"E Asselmann","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0268598.ref063","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0237609","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0237609","article-title":"Maternal personality, social support, and changes in depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery: A prospective-longitudinal study.","volume":"15","author":"E Asselmann","year":"2020","journal-title":"PloS one"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0268598","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,13]],"date-time":"2023-02-13T14:50:44Z","timestamp":1676299844000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0268598"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Gert G.","family":"Wagner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]]},"references-count":63,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0268598","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]]}}}