Most studies to date have treated work-family conflict (WFC) as a static construct, typically using WFC measures collected at a single point in time to predict other variables either in the same data collection or in a follow-up collection. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we used panel data spanning approximately 20 years to test a model in which the long-term relations between WFC change and four well-being variables—perceived health, self-esteem, income, and family support—are mediated by change in perceived control. Our results suggest that family-to-work conflict (FIW) change, but not work-to-family conflict (WIF) change, over a period of ten years was negatively associated with change in perceived control over 20 years. Change in perceived control in turn predicted lower levels of perceived health, self-esteem, income, and family support at the end of the 20-year period. We found little support for a proposition based on adaptation theory that initial levels of WFC are positively associated with subsequent levels of well-being.

迄今为止，大多数研究都将工作家庭冲突（WFC）视为静态结构，通常使用在单个时间点收集的WFC度量来预测同一数据收集或后续收集中的其他变量。根据资源节约理论，我们使用了大约20年的面板数据来测试一个模型，在该模型中，WFC变化与四个幸福变量（感知的健康，自尊，收入和家庭支持）之间的长期关系是通过感知控制的变化来介导。我们的结果表明，十年间的家庭对工作冲突（FIW）的变化，而不是工作对家庭的冲突（WIF）的变化与20年内对控制感的变化负相关。感知控制力的变化进而预测到感知健康，自尊，收入，和20年期末的家庭支持。我们发现很少有人支持基于适应理论的主张，即WFC的初始水平与随后的福祉呈正相关。