Locus of Control Definition Who determines one’s fate? Is it the person or outside forces beyond the person’s control? This question lies at the root of the concept of locus of control. People who believe they are in control of their destinies have an internal locus of control (internals). Those who believe that luck and
Locus of control refers to an individual’s overall beliefs regarding whom or what is in control over events that occur in his or her life. People may attribute their chances of success and failure to either external or internal causes. Development of locus of control likely stems from a combination of family background, culture, and
Illusion of Control Definition The illusion of control (also known as illusory control) refers to the tendency for people to exaggerate their ability to produce a desired outcome. Even when it comes to controlling random events, people believe they have control. Factors That Influence Illusory Control Traditionally, people assumed accurate self-knowledge was crucial for survival
Control Motivation Definition Control motivation refers to the motive to exercise at least some control over important events in our lives. The extent to which control motivation is innate or learned remains a point of discussion. But many psychologists argue that virtually all people are motivated to establish a sense of mastery, that is, to
Locus of control (LOC) is a term used to refer to individual perceptions regarding personal control, particularly with regard to control over important outcomes. For example, have you ever tried to convince someone to vote, emphasizing the impact his or her vote could have in an election? Have you ever known someone who did not
Broadly speaking, inhibitory control is the ability to suppress the activation, processing, or expression of information that would otherwise interfere with the efficient attainment of a cognitive or behavioral goal. Everyday examples of inhibitory control include a student who must ignore the conversations of her siblings while she is trying to study for an exam
Mental Control Definition Mental control refers to the ways in which people control their thoughts and emotions to remain in agreement with their goals. People engage in mental control when they suppress a thought, concentrate on a feeling or sensation, restrain an emotional response, or strive to maintain a mood. Mental control proves difficult for
F ine motor control refers to the ability to precisely move and position the limbs, extremities, and digits (especially the fingers). Examples of fine motor control include grasping an object between the thumb and forefinger, tying shoelaces, using a spoon to bring soup to the mouth, and typing. Fine motor control is essential to many
Control Definition The term control has a long history in social psychology and has been used in a variety of ways. At the most general level, control can be defined as influence, whether it be over internal states (as in emotional control or self-control) or over external aspects of the environment, including control over outcomes (i.e.
Control Condition Definition The control condition in an experimental design lacks any treatment or manipulation of the independent variable. People assigned to the control group serve as the basis of comparison for the people in the experimental condition. Everything in a control condition is the same as the experimental conditions except that the independent variable