Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol 30(6), Dec 2025, 365-381; doi:10.1037/ocp0000415
Time is a critical factor that shapes stressor–outcome relationships. Despite its importance, few studies have directly investigated the role of time in stressor–outcome relationships. Based on the longitudinal data collected 10 times throughout a year from 101 full-time workers, we explored whether varying time lags influence stressor–outcome relationships and examined the unique dynamics of role stressors (role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload) and illegitimate tasks with two work outcomes (i.e., work engagement and turnover intention). We analyzed data using continuous time structural equation modeling, which informs the timing and duration of the theorized effects. The results revealed that beyond a certain point in time (e.g., approximately 2 months for work engagement), the stressor–outcome relationships did not substantially differ depending on varying time intervals and showed diluted effects over time. While the patterns over time were similar across stressor–outcome combinations, magnitudes of mean effects varied, aligning with thematic correspondence. When considered together, role ambiguity and role overload, but not illegitimate tasks, had a significant negative relationship with work engagement, whereas illegitimate tasks, but not role conflict and role ambiguity, had a significant positive relationship with turnover intention. Our study offers a more nuanced understanding of the role of time intervals in stressor–outcome relationships. Overall, our results suggest that the time interval alone does not sufficiently explain the varying magnitudes in stressor–outcome relationships and that the specific nature of variable dyads should also be considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)