The influence of personal control on reactions to shock differed as a function of the type of control and of the combination of control conditions. Behavioral control in the presence of information (cognitive control) reduced stress, whereas behavioral control in the absence of information augmented stress. (Author)

Classified 96 undergraduates by locus of control and assigned them to either situational control, perceived control, or no control conditions. Measures of stress reactions during and after exposure to noxious noise revealed no significant interactions between dispositional and situational or perceived control, not supporting congruency hypothesis.…

Examined interaction between Type A behavior and perceived controllability of stressors on overt exhibition of Type A behavior and task performance. Results from 122 undergraduate business students indicated that Type A behavior had strongest effect on overt exhibition of Type A behavior when subjects perceived their environment as moderately…

The Type A behavior pattern, an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, has been characterized as a response style for coping with perceived threats to control. Recent research suggests that self-attributional biases may play a role in the Type A's sensitivity to loss of control. Attributional mediation of Type A's experience of stress…

The reformulated learned helplessness model for the prediction of depression has been investigated extensively in young adults. Results have linked attributions made to undesirable, controllable events to depression in this age group. This reformulated model was investigated in 97 elderly women and was contrasted to the original learned…

The notion that life stresses and personality have an interactive role in illness is part of the wisdom of the ages. Most past research has studied either life stresses or personality. A model for understanding health/illness status is presented that includes stressful life events and the resistance resources of personality, social supports,…

Assessed personality factors of 152 adolescent drivers. Found that subjects convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and juvenile offenders without DWI citations more often endorsed feelings of powerlessness and stressful life events than did drivers without DWI citations. DWI offenders were more likely to indicate that alcohol made them loud,…

The Type A disease association may be obscured by the failure of epidemiological studies to take into account the person by situation nature of the Type A construct. Past research suggests that it is not coping with demand that is stressful for Type As, but rather the perception that the job or life event is less than completely controllable that…

Following a traditional learned helplessness paradigm, subjects initially tried to terminate random bursts of noise using a button-pressing manipulandum and next tried to solve 20 serially-presented anagrams. The noise was broadcast at either a loud or soft intensity, and the subject's button-pressing was either successful (Escape condition) or…

Numerous studies indicate that an individual's perception of internal or external control over life events ("perceived locus of control") is a personality variable that influences the perception of a situation as threatening or stress-inducing. Whether for reasons of personality or because of "situational powerlessness," the…

Research on children's perceptions of control has identified both changes and consistencies in control beliefs during childhood and early adolescence. Developmental changes in coping have also been documented. Implications of research for interventions aimed at enhancing children's problem-solving and coping skills are discussed. (SLD)

Noting that loss of control is a major concern confronting patients experiencing an illness, this paper critically analyzes the research literature on control and clarifies the implications of this research for provider-patient communication. The paper first defines control, noting that the most frequently cited definition is the "locus of…

Suggests that children who have experienced personal autonomy sufficient to develop a sense of responsibility for the consequences of their actions tend to experience less stress and receive more affectionate treatment from their mothers. Briefly summarizes previous research that supports these findings. (MJP)

This journal issue brings together research on perceptions of control of several vulnerable populations, specifically children, lower level employees, the ill, and the aged. This introduction discusses positive outcomes associated with sense of control and identifies common themes found in work in this area. (SLD)