We believe that we have won the lottery because we are able to guess the correct numbers. We believe that if we press the elevator button not once, but five times, the doors will close faster. Where does the confidence come from that we manage situations in which nothing really depends on us? This happens against our will, but in many ways it affects decisions, explains psychologist Jeremy Dean.
Sometimes we think that we can influence events that are actually beyond our control. For example, we buy delicious apples and begin to think that we understand them. But the truth is that the store just brought a great variety. We buy a lottery ticket, win a million. And we decide that we are able to guess the lucky numbers, while the result of the drawing is nothing more than an accident. Although most people know this, we secretly continue to hope that the chosen numbers have some meaning.
This is called the illusion of control. The term appeared more than forty years ago, and the effect itself has been repeatedly confirmed in the course of experiments. Sometimes this illusion manifests itself in so-called magical thinking. Participants in one experiment watched a man try to hit a basketball basket. When they unanimously wished him a good throw and he succeeded, they believed that they helped him, although in reality they did nothing.
Useful delusion?
There is an opinion that the illusion of control is useful because it forces people to take responsibility. For example, someone who has been diagnosed with a disease can control it if he starts taking medication, changes his diet, and changes his lifestyle.
Studies show that patients who are allowed to take painkillers of their own choice are usually limited to a lower dose than those who strictly followed the doctor’s prescriptions.
“The belief that we can control the situation motivates us to act even in cases where the chances of success are negligible,” says psychologist Jeremy Dean. And indeed, would you apply for vacancies if you knew that you had practically no influence on the decision of the employer? Unlikely. But without it, they wouldn’t get the job.
But the illusion of control is not always to our advantage. Financial professionals often overestimate their ability to capture market sentiment. The more confident they are that they are in complete control of the situation, the lower their effectiveness. The prudent ones win — those who do not rely on a lucky break.
Not surprisingly, some scientists believe that the illusion of control makes it difficult to learn from mistakes and listen to constructive comments. The more we believe that we are in control of the situation, the more often we ignore external signals that warn of danger.
«The Illusion of Powerlessness»
The illusion of control often leads us to act imprudently. But the opposite also happens. Sometimes we just need to take matters into our own hands, but decide that nothing depends on us. To confirm this observation, a group of psychologists led by Professor Francesca Gino conducted a series of gaming experiments at the Harvard Business School and found that participants who were given complete freedom of choice underestimated their ability to influence the initial outcome.
It turns out that those who say that the illusion of control is useful are right? In some situations, yes. We know that if you apply for more jobs, the chances of finding a job are higher. That exercise improves health, and you can lose weight only if you reduce the amount of calories you consume. We know that it is not worth spending money on the tenth bag if you are saving for a car.
In each of these situations, everything depends solely on us, but, oddly enough, we are sure of the opposite. “Perhaps this effect should be called the “illusion of impotence.” In other words, when we are in complete control of a situation, we tend to underestimate our strengths. Perhaps that is why we often do not do enough, ”the psychologist believes.
About the author: Jeremy Dean is a psychologist and author of Kill the Habit, Create the Habit.