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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Buffering Effects of Physical Activity on Negative Life Events-Life Satisfaction Dynamics.

Daniel Groß^1,2, Jasmin Haffa¹, Wenke Möhring¹

¹University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.

Stress and Health : Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress

|July 2, 2026

Summary

Physical activity can buffer negative life events

Keywords:

buffering effects life satisfaction negative life events physical activity

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Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

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Published on: February 11, 2017

Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity

Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity

Published on: March 7, 2019

Area of Science:

Psychology
Health Sciences
Sociology

Background:

Negative life events can impact life satisfaction.
Physical activity's role as a buffer is not fully understood.
Distinguishing between stressor types and temporal effects is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if physical activity buffers the link between negative life events and life satisfaction.
To differentiate between dependent and independent stressors.
To examine within- and between-person processes over short (1-year) and medium (2-year) terms.

Main Methods:

Analysis of two large panel studies (N=98,224).
Classification of participants into high (weekly or more) and low (less than weekly) physical activity groups.
Application of random intercept cross-lagged panel models to separate within- and between-person dynamics.

Main Results:

Dependent life events predicted declines in life satisfaction, an effect attenuated by physical activity over 2 years.
Independent life events showed no consistent medium-term effects, but were linked to declines in life satisfaction among physically active individuals over 1 year.
Life satisfaction predicted subsequent dependent events and, among active individuals, a lower likelihood of subsequent independent events.

Conclusions:

Physical activity's buffering effect on the stress-well-being relationship is conditional, depending on stressor type, time scale, and analysis level.
The protective role of physical activity is context-specific rather than universally applicable.
Findings highlight the nuanced interplay between physical activity, life stressors, and life satisfaction over time.