The Relative Contribution of Contingency, Choice, and Predictability to the Recognition of Perceived Control.

The study investigated the contribution of contingency, choice, and predictability (either alone or in concert) to the recognition of one's personal control. In eight different situations, participants rated the amount of control available to them rather than to a fictional competitor. Results showed that participants rated their control from highest to lowest as (a) contingency + choice + predictability, (b) contingency + no-choice + predictability, (c) contingency + choice + no-predictability, (d) contingency + no-choice + nopredictability, and (e) all four no-contingency combinations. The only other finding revealed that the no-contingency + no-choice + no-predictability condition received lower control ratings than all other conditions. Therefore, as hypothesized, contingency contributed more to the recognition of control than either choice or predictability. Results were discussed in terms of replicability, primary versus secondary control, and sense of agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]