Relationship of behavior control and subjective well-being in representatives of different professions

We studied the peculiarities of subjective well-being (emotional and cognitive components), as well as its relationship to subjective age and the control of behavior (volitional, emotional and cognitive components). The study was conducted with two groups of subjects. The experimental group was composed of professionals whose work involves the specifics of the implementation of activities under strict external time regulation (for example, flight crews of the Russian Air Forces, N = 44). The control group comprised respondents whose professional activity is not related to work under strict regulation (freelancers, scientists, people of creative professions, etc., N = 40). Both groups of respondents were satisfied with their lives. It is shown that in the representatives of non-regulated professions subjective well-being is interconnected with subjective age, emotional regulation and flexibility as personality regulatory property of self-regulation (cognitive component of behavior control). In the group of military pilots subjective well-being is a separate construct and is not associated with the assessment of their age and control of behavior. Control of behavior in the Air Force pilots shows higher integration of its components, as compared with the “free” professions. The perception of subjective age in pilots is more interconnected with the cognitive component of behavior control, and in representatives of the control group with the emotional component.

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