Synonyms
Definition
Perceived control refers to the belief that one can determine one’s own internal states and behavior, influence one’s environment, and/or bring about desired outcomes (Wallston et al. 1987). It is a subjective perception that predicts subsequent behavior and can either be seen as a personality trait or a cognitive processing, which in either case enhances functioning and survival.
Overview
Rotter (1966) firstly used the term “perceived control” and separated beliefs about the causes of environmental outcomes into those controlled by internal factors (one’s own actions and characteristics) or by external factors (powerful others, luck, chance, etc.), viz., locus of control theory. After that, the scientific work on his concept of perceived internal control differed mostly into two branches. One believed perceived control to be a fixed personality trait and therefore refers to concepts like...
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References
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Yuan, B. (2021). Perceived Control. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M.E. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_830
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_830
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