ABSTRACT
The present contribution attempts to highlight some implications that notions of personal control and self-efficacy have for issues of optimal development and successful aging. Such implications become readily apparent from an action perspective of development that focuses on the individual's active contribution in shaping their personal development and circumstances of living. Evidence from a larger cross-sequential investigation is presented supporting the view that self-referential beliefs of efficacy and control are of key importance in maintaining an optimistic perspective on personal development during middle and later adulthood. The chapter argues that besides self-percepts of efficacy, the capability or readiness to disengage from blocked developmental options and to flexibly readjust one's developmental goals is an important factor that reduces the risk of dissatisfaction and depression in later life. Empirical findings indicate that this second, accommodative mode of coping becomes increasingly dominant in later adulthood. The focus of interest is on the associations of experienced strain with indicators of control and self-efficacy.
