While it’s beneficial to feel in control, excessive control beliefs may have the opposite effect. When people expect to affect uncontrollable events they are said to suffer from an illusion of control. Their belief in personal influence is inappropriately high (Yarritu et al., 2014). Consider an experiment where a subject and a research confederate draw cards from a deck in a game of chance (higher card wins). Subjects who played against a person appearing less confident were willing to bet almost 50% more than those who faced a more confident opponent, as if the chance outcome were in fact controllable (Langer, 1975). Indeed, gamblers are particularly prone to illusions that suggest a false sense of control over chance events (Moore & Ohtsuka, 1999). This is also illustrated by the hot hand fallacy, the belief that good outcome in a series of chance events will continue (Rabin & Vayanos, 2010).
References
Langer, E. J. (1975). The illusion of control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32(2), 311-328.
Moore, S. M., & Ohtsuka, K. (1999). Beliefs about control over gambling among young people, and their relation to problem gambling. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 13(4), 339-347.
Rabin, M., & Vayanos, D. (2010). The gambler’s and hot-hand fallacies: Theory and applications. The Review of Economic Studies, 77(2), 730-778.
Yarritu, I., Matute, H., & Vadillo, M. A. (2014). Illusion of control: The role of personal involvement. Experimental Psychology, 61, 38-47.