Illusion of Control (Why do we believe we have control over some events when we do not?)
The Illusion of Control, a brief explanation
What is the Illusion of Control?
The illusion of control is the tendency to believe that we have control of uncontrollable events when we do not.
Examples
If you are desperate for rain you may try to engage in superstitious behaviour to ‘cause’ it to rain. If it then rains you may engage the illusion of control and believe that you caused the rain.
A sports fan may wear a lucky baseball cap to ‘help’ their team win a game.
The literature
Labajova, K., Höhler, J., Lagerkvist, C.-J., Müller, J. & Rommel, J. (2022). Illusion of control in famers’ investment and financing decisions. Agricultural Finance Review, 82(4). Doi: 10.1108/afr-09-2020-0140.
Presson, P. K., & Benassi, V. A. (1996). Illusion of control: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 11(3).
drdanedgcumbe.co.uk 