“The illusion of control persists like the other positive illusions because you need to feel as though you can push against the world and notice it move. Without that belief, your spirit dwindles quickly…”
-David McRaney (1)
Our ability to adapt to the drastic transformation in our lifestyles due to the pandemic without our conscious knowledge has been quite remarkable. Although we are all coping with the lockdown to the best of our abilities, there must lie a profound scientific explanation for our strong and sudden tendencies to hoard essential items, and the inexplicable urge to begin a new work-out regime. The highly adaptive psychological phenomenon of the ‘illusion of control’ may provide us with such an explanation.
The illusion of control is a form of cognitive bias that results in an overestimation of the extent of control that individuals have over external events. In other words, it leads to them believing that they have an influence over situations that are well beyond their direct authority. (3) Researchers have also proposed that the illusion may be heuristic (a rule of thumb adopted to make quick judgments) in nature, and may result from the continued association of one’s own behaviour in a situation with a desired outcome. Studies have demonstrated that individuals think that they have greater control over the outcome of a dice game if they throw the dice themselves as opposed to someone else throwing the dice for them. Similarly, they are also less likely to sell a lottery ticket that they chose as opposed to a ticket chosen by someone else. These notions indicate that people assume that they possess greater control when their own choices and decisions are taken into consideration, although in reality, the probability of a favourable outcome remains unchanged either way. However, the underlying cause of the illusion remains unknown. (4)
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of confusion and uncertainty in the minds of many. Assuming control in such uncertain times can be seen in the way one takes charge of their surroundings, as the solace of routine may not be found elsewhere. Consequently, behaviours such as adopting a new skin-care routine, a healthy meal-time routine, or simply cooking in the kitchen, where one has complete authority over their environment, may be adopted into the routine. Intriguingly, even during pre-COViD times, there was no scarcity of instances where the illusion of control was adopted. In the 1970s, buttons were installed at intersections in New York City so that pedestrians would be able to cross the road safely after pushing them. It was, and still is, incorrectly assumed that pushing the button hastens the walk signal. Therefore, the pedestrians are said to have an ‘illusion of control’ or a sense of misplaced faith taking root in themselves that they are influencing the duration of time it takes for the walk signal to illuminate. (2)
Nonetheless, the negative consequences of this effect include the ‘illusory superiority effect’, where one tends to believe that they are more competent than others; and the ‘optimism bias’, where one thinks that they have greater immunity against negative outcomes than others. Certain advantages of the ‘illusion of control’ also exist. For instance, rehearsing one’s opening statements before an interview can leave a positive and lasting impression on the interviewer, thereby, furthering the interviewee’s perception of their influence over the situation. Judgments of control are considerably influenced by one’s requirement to maintain and enhance their self-esteem, which is also associated with their well-being. Possessing a general sense of control increases self-esteem, optimism, and agency. (6) (7) An outlook of such control isn’t merely an intellectual disposition; instead, it is a deep-seated component of our evolutionary wiring and the product of necessary ‘delusions’ our brain is relentlessly working to maintain in order to overcome certain adversities. (5) (1) The perception of uncontrollability, on the other hand, has been said to be related to negative emotional, cognitive, and physical effects. (6) (7)
Given the distinction between actual and perceived control, some researchers have suggested that the illusion of control is a means for self-preservation, or may even be classified as a self-serving bias–a phenomenon in which people are prevented from perceiving the negative consequences of uncontrollable situations. The current pandemic is a perfect example where such a bias has been extensively experienced. (6) However, this should not be equated with the experience of denial. Denial alters reality and distorts facts, which leads to the development of misperceptions, whereas an illusion causes a situation to be perceived in an optimistic manner. This can be achieved by adopting a generally positive perspective. Additionally, the results of such an illusion have been associated with beneficial effects on mental health, while denial with undesired consequences. (8) These may include maladaptive thought patterns which constitute false and unsupported beliefs, and the phenomenon of ‘amnesic consequences of denial’ wherein one forgets having been in denial altogether. (9)
As far as is practicable, we must exploit the benefits of illusions of control while avoiding their damaging consequences. (10) For instance, the pandemic has forced us all to reconsider the situations that we do indeed have control over. Continuing to hold this perspective while scrolling through the news, an uncontrollable and overflowing medium of acquiring information, thus becomes a much more laborious process. Therefore, to minimise the possibility of mental exhaustion caused by saturation or the anxiety of uncertainty, it is recommended to create a flexible schedule, or simply add some structure to one’s day, by identifying personal goals, and engaging in virtual forms of socialisation. It is important to remind oneself that the illusion of control is a highly adaptive psychological phenomenon. As long as the outcomes of unconsciously adopting this technique are positive, the phenomenon will retain its identity of being adaptive in nature. However, being incognisant of the circumstances in our surroundings as a result of attempting to assume complete control of the external world can be quite taxing to our mental health. To avoid such adverse effects, some individuals have taken to engaging in activities such as colouring and puzzles which can prove to be beneficial for our well-being. According to Dahlen deVos, a therapist in San Francisco, “Our brains love seeing tasks completed, so taking on projects that we know we can check a box and be done with feels very satisfying. Doing projects with our hands can act as a form of mindfulness which is very regulating for the nervous system and can soothe the emotions.” (11) Thus, identifying new hobbies and staying in course by adopting a routine for calls, chores, and work is an effective means of regaining control.
1- Popova, M. (2015, December 17). How Our Delusions Keep Us Sane: The Psychology of Our Essential Self-Enhancement Bias. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/06/04/david-mcraney-self-enchancement-bias/
2- Gino, F., Sharek, Z., & Moore, D. (2001, January 1). (PDF) The illusion of the illusion of control. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266009496_The_Illusion_of_the_Illusion_of_Control
3- The Hindu. (2018, November 04). In psychology, what is illusion of control? Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/in-psychology-what-is-illusion-of-control/article25419470.ece
4- Illusion of Control - IResearchNet. (2016, January 25). Retrieved July 29, 2020, from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/self/illusion-of-control/
5- Shyamsukha, S. (2016, June 25). Here's Why You Need to Break Your Illusion of Control. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from http://yourdost.com/blog/2016/06/the-illusion-of-control.html?q=%2Fblog%2F2016%2F06%2Fthe-illusion-of-control.html
6- Yarritu, I., Matute, H., & Vadillo, M. (2014, January 1). Illusion of control: The role of personal involvement. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013923/
7- Fast, N. J., Gruenfeld, D. H., Sivanathan, N., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008, December). Illusory control: A generative force behind power’s far-reaching effects. https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/mygsb/faculty/research/pubfiles/11639/illusory_control.pdf
8- Taylor, S. E., Collins, R. L., Skokan, L. A., & Aspinwall, L. G. (1989). Maintaining positive illusions in the face of negative information: Getting the facts without letting them get to you. https://taylorlab.psych.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/1989_Maintaining-Positive-Illusions-in-the-Face-of-Negative-Info.pdf
9- JR. Anderson, G., MC. Anderson, C., MM. Arnold, D., A. Azad, L., RF. Baumeister, K., Craik, F., . . . JJ. Walczyk, L. (1972, January 01). Forgetting having denied: The "amnesic" consequences of denial. Retrieved August 12, 2020, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13421-017-0781-5
10- Makridakis, S., & Moleskis, A. (2015, June 30). The costs and benefits of positive illusions. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4485033/
11- Smith, P. (2020, June 04). 6 Ways You Can Feel More In Control During The Coronavirus Pandemic. Retrieved August 19, 2020, from https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/ways-you-can-feel-control-coronavirus_l_5ed11edec5b67d6baf08e545
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