Higher Sense Of Control Research Articles

I don’t care, I share! – The importance of self-disclosure overwrites the risks of sharing on Social Media

High levels of self-disclosure on different Social Media platforms are part of our everyday lives nowadays. Users tend to share detailed information about their personal lives willingly while often underestimating its negative consequences. Previous studies emphasize the complexity of the processes of online self-disclosure. Our aim with this current research is to examine how online self-disclosure is influenced by different psychological factors: the attitude towards the value of the users’ own data, perceived control over personal information and perceived risks associated with sharing on Social Media, with a multimethod study. In Study 1, a qualitative approach was introduced (N = 37), in Study 2, we conducted an online survey on a representative sample (N = 1597). In Study 1, we found that participants often underestimate the value of their own personal data and its usability by others. This (incorrect) interpretation gives them an increased sense of confidence about the security of their personal data in online contexts and facilitates them to share personal information on Social Media. In line with this, in Study 2 we found that the more the participants engage in self-disclosure on Social Media, the less risky they perceive their online activity. This suggests, the importance of sharing may overwrite the risks of sharing. Our results also show that higher engagement in online self-disclosure comes with a higher sense of control, which in turn decreases risk perception on Social Media sites. In sum, processes of self-disclosure on Social Media are influenced by not just the users’ sense of control and risk perception but their perceptions towards the value of their own personal data.

Personal relative deprivation and moral self-judgments: The moderating role of sense of control

Six studies (total valid N = 1835) examined the impact of personal relative deprivation on moral judgments of one’s own unethical behavior and the moderating role of sense of control. It was found that individuals high (vs. low) on relative deprivation were more likely to endorse lenient moral standards for themselves regarding various imagined transgressions. Moreover, Studies 4–6 also provided evidence for a positive moderation effect of sense of control in the relationship between relative deprivation and the acceptability of one’s own moral transgressions. These findings suggest that individuals, especially those with a high sense of control, may justify their immoral actions to compensate for the hurt feelings of relative deprivation.

QUALIDADE PSICOLÓGICA NO TREINAMENTO DE MÉDIA E LONGA DISTÂNCIA

ABSTRACT Introduction: Middle and long-distance running combine endurance and speed, demanding constant speed and minimizing physical losses. Sports fatigue is frequent in competition and the practice of these races. Therefore, middle and long-distance runners are prone to characteristics such as nervousness, negativity, or boredom. Objective: Explore the role of mental health in middle and long-distance runners in track and field events. Methods: Fourteen Chinese middle and long-distance runners were selected. The players undergo a 10-week psychological quality test. A questionnaire survey was conducted before and after completing the 10 weeks of psychological quality education. The data obtained from the experiment were statistically analyzed. The practical teaching of athletes and the form of psychological education were explained and discussed. Results: The psychological quality of stability in the athletes’ movements are reflected inaccurate feedback, the balance of challenging skills, a high sense of control, concentration, and clear purpose. The characteristics of psychological quality were a fusion of awareness of behavior, pleasant experience, loss of self-consciousness, and space-temporal transformation. There were significant differences in the level of stable psychological quality of athletes under different sports levels (P<0.05). Conclusion: Mental quality promotion exercises for middle and long-distance runners can help them to quickly adjust their minds, improving their competitive abilities. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

Subjective Distance Estimates and Sense of Agency in Robotic Wheelchair Control

Sense of agency (SoA) refers to an individual’s awareness of their own actions. SoA studies seek to find objective indicators for the feeling of agency. These indicators, being related to the feeling of control, have practical application in vehicle design. However, they have not been investigated for actions related to the agent’s body movement inherent to steering a vehicle. In our study, participants operated a robotic wheelchair under three conditions: active control by a participant, direct control by the experimenter and remote control by the experimenter. In each trial, a participant drove the wheelchair until a sound signal occurred, after which they stopped the wheelchair and estimated the travelled distance. The subjective estimates were significantly greater when participants operated the wheelchair by themselves. This result contrasts with observations under static settings in previous studies. In an additional study on the electroencephalographic response to a sound presented at a random time after movement onset, the observed latencies in the N1 component implied that participants might have a higher sense of control when they drove the wheelchair. The proposed methodology might become useful to indirectly assess the degree of operator control of a vehicle, primarily in the field of rehabilitation technologies.

Vaccine and Psychological Booster: Factors Associated With Older Adults' Compliance to the Booster COVID-19 Vaccine in Israel.

Israel became the first country to offer the booster COVID-19 vaccination. The study tested for the first time the role of sense of control (SOC) due to vaccinations, trust and vaccination hesitancy (VH), and their association with compliance to the booster COVID-19 vaccine among older adults, during the first 2 weeks of the campaign. 400 Israeli citizens (≥ 6 years old), eligible for the booster vaccine, responded online. They completed demographics, self-reports, and booster vaccination status (already vaccinated, booked-a-slot, vaccination intent, and vaccination opposers). Multinomial logistic regression was conducted with pseudo R 2 = .498. Higher SOC and lower VH were related to the difference between early and delayed vaccination (booked-a-slot, OR = 0.7 [0.49‐0.99]; 2.2 [1.32‐3.62], intent OR = 0.6 [0.42‐0.98]; 2.7 [1.52‐4.86]), as well as to rejection (OR = 0.3 [0.11‐0.89]; 8.5 [3.39‐21.16]). Increased trust was only related to the difference between early vaccinations and vaccine rejection (OR = 0.3 [0.11‐0.89]). We suggest that SOC, as well as low VH, can be used as positive motivators, encouraging earlier vaccinations in older age.

Anxiety Reactions and Coping Modalities with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing a Population of Religious Patients with Mental Illness and their Health Caregivers.

This study evaluates the nature and intensity of anxiety, interpretations of the COVID-19 pandemic and coping modalities of hospitalized patients with mental illness compared with their caregivers. One hundred and fifty-one subjects were evaluated with a specially designed questionnaire. Psychiatric inpatients reported more anxiety and more negative feelings than staff members and healthy subjects, but inpatients felt protected by the hospital and Ministry of Health (MoH) measures. Despite this anxiety, inpatients reported a lower compliance with MoH instructions than staff and healthy subjects and gave more fatalistic interpretations to the pandemic. Haredi study participants reported less anxiety, more optimism and had a higher sense of control regarding the pandemic compared to non-religious participants.

Measuring Effects of Technological Interactivity Levels on Flow With Electroencephalogram

Although game-based interactive technology has long enhanced flow experiences crucial for learning, its effects have been unclear. Thus, this study gathered students' electroencephalogram (EEG) information during their work in game-based learning environments with different levels of technological interactivity (LTIs; low, mid, and high LTIs). Multiple measurements were used in a relatively small sample, and 3 9th graders (age 15) of different learning environments worked on 360 test items. The EEG data were analyzed with the LTI, balance of challenge and skill (BCS), and sense of control (SC) to establish the flow state construct. A chi-square test showed a significant association between flow states and the LTI, whereas a J48 decision tree analysis and logistic regression demonstrated that inflow experiences would likely emerge in students with high short-term SC (ST-SC), high BCS, and high-LTI learning environments. Furthermore, in high ST-SC and high BCS cases, the odds ratio (OR) of emerging inflow experiences with a high LTI is eight times more than the rest, suggesting that instructional designers (and teachers) use high-LTI game-based learning environments while ensuring students' learning with adequate SC and BCS.

In control of future time: Sense of control weakens the negative association between age and future time perspective

Future time perspective has been found to significantly influence people’s cognitive preferences, social choices, and subjective well-being across adulthood. While increasing chronological age is considered as a natural correlate of more limited future time perspective, few studies have investigated other factors related to individual differences in future time perspective. Based on a sample of 372 participants of a wide age range, the current study tested sense of control as an important determinant of future time perspective and a moderator of the association between age and future time perspective. Three different components of future time perspective, extension (FTE), opportunity (FTO), and constraint (FTC), were tested separately. Consistent with the expectation, higher sense of control was related to more open-ended future time perspective (higher FTE and FTO, lower FTC). More importantly, sense of control significantly moderated the associations between age and two components of future time perspective (FTE and FTC). For individuals with high sense of control, older age was no longer related to more limited future time perspective. The results highlight the importance of sense of control in maintaining a positive perception of future time and suggest that psychological resource can interact with chronological age to influence future time perspective.

Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic: Motivating Self-Surveillance Behavior Through Enhanced Sense of Control

The path ahead in the COVID-19 pandemic will be shaped by how timely governments identify new cases and take effective measures. Self-surveillance, in which individuals are asked to self-disclose their health conditions, locations and contacts, proves to be an effective measure to balance disease control and economic growth. Implementing self-surveillance largely relies on self-disclosure of disease-related personal information (i.e., locations, contacts). In two studies, we demonstrate sense of control as the psychological mechanism that drives self-disclosure of personal information during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, and we identify societal-level and individual-behavior-level factors that affect sense of control during the pandemic. We suggest although individuals are not able to change societal-level factors that affect sense of control (i.e., severity of COVID), prosocial behavior and information seeking regarding COVID-19 are associated with higher sense of control and higher tendency of self-disclosure. Governments may motivate self-surveillance behavior through enhancing sense of control.

Controle percebido em cuidadores de idosos no contexto familiar: variáveis associadas

O presente estudo teve como objetivos testar um modelo explicativo do senso de controle de idosos cuidadores de idosos e comparar a frequência de respostas em senso de controle considerando respostas da amostra em fragilidade, sobrecarga, religiosidade, gênero e idade. Participaram 148 idosos cuidadores, sendo 77% mulheres e idade média de 70 anos. Senso de controle (Escala CASP-19), fragilidade autorreferida, sobrecarga (Escala de Sobrecarga de Zarit) e religiosidade (Índice de Religiosidade de DUKE) foram avaliados. Os resultados mostraram que o aumento do senso de controle associou-se ao aumento da religiosidade organizacional (t=0.206) através do aumento da idade (t=0.209) e à diminuição da sobrecarga (t=-0.375) e que idosos que reportaram baixa sobrecarga (p<0.001) e alta religiosidade organizacional (p=0.002) apresentaram alto senso de controle. Os dados evidenciaram que idosos cuidadores mais velhos que frequentavam encontros religiosos e que se percebiam menos sobrecarregados pela situação do cuidado tiveram maior senso de controle.

The effects of job-related training on the sense of control of male and female workers in Russia

ABSTRACT Using data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Study – Higher School of Economics (RLMS), we estimate the relationship between the sense of control, measured as the belief that one has control over one’s important future life circumstances and job-related training for women and men in a transitional context. We test the theory of alternative resources and the critical approaches in the analysis of the role of gender in individual outcomes from training. We show that while job-related training is associated with higher sense of control (measured using Pearlin Mastery Scale), its effect varies by gender and therefore, its absolute value is limited. We conclude that job-related training exacerbates the existing differences in the sense of control between women and men in Russia, which can potentially have prolonged, negative effects on the wider outcomes of women in the labour market.

Psychosocial Determinants of Communication Satisfaction in Racially Concordant and Discordant Patient-Physician Interactions.

Although socioeconomic and race-related factors both influence the quality of medical encounters, it is not known how these effects differ between racially concordant and discordant medical visits. The current study investigated psychosocial determinants of physician visit satisfaction of Black adults based on a racial concordance of the medical encounter. Data came from the Detroit Area Study, a community survey of adults in Michigan, United States. The current analysis included 336 Black individuals who had visited a White (n = 191) or a Black (n = 145) physician in the last year. The outcome was satisfaction with the quality of communication with the doctor. Demographics (age and gender), socioeconomic status (education and income), psychosocial factors (control beliefs and social support), race-related factors (having a close White friend, negative attitudes about Blacks, discrimination), and health status (chronic disease count, self-rated health, and distress) of the patient as well as race of the doctor were measured. We used multi-group structural equation modeling for data analysis, where the two groups were racially concordant (those who met a Black physician) and racially discordant (those who met a White physician) visits. Satisfaction with physician visit was lower in racially discordant than racially concordant encounters. In racially concordant visits, high education was associated with higher satisfaction; however, racial discrimination was associated with lower satisfaction. In racially discordant visits ((i.e., with a White doctor), having a White friend as well as high sense of control were associated with higher satisfaction, while negative attitudes about Blacks was associated with a lower level of satisfaction. Racially concordant and discordant visits have different satisfaction levels. Racially concordant and discordant visits also have different predictors of communication satisfaction among Black patients. Socioeconomic status as well as racial attitudes and experiences impact the quality of communication of the Black patients with their doctors; however, these effects depend on the race of the doctor.

Prediction of long-term outcome after cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome

ObjectiveTo determine which variables predicted long-term outcome after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). MethodsA cohort of 511 CFS patients from four different CBT for CFS studies, i.e. two cohort studies and two RCT's. Before treatment, all patients fulfilled the 2003 US CDC criteria for CFS and treated with CBT, were assessed at long-term follow-up, up to 10 years after end of treatment. We tried to predict fatigue severity and physical functioning at follow-up with demographics, cognitive-behavioral perpetuating factors, and CFS characteristics as predictors in linear regression analyses. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore significant predictors of fatigue scores within normal limits at long-term follow-up. ResultsLower fatigue severity at long-term follow-up was predicted by a shorter duration of CFS symptoms and lower fatigue levels at baseline, and lower frustration in response to fatigue and lower fatigue levels directly post-treatment. Fatigue scores within normal limits at follow-up was predicted by lower fatigue severity and lower levels of frustration in response to fatigue, both assessed directly post-treatment. Better physical functioning at follow-up was predicted by higher sense of control over fatigue, better physical functioning at post-treatment, and being younger at baseline. In some of the additional analysis pain at baseline also predicted physical functioning at follow-up. ConclusionThe finding that lower fatigue severity and higher physical functioning at long-term follow-up were positively associated with its outcomes at post-treatment underline the importance of fully maximizing the positive effects of CBT for the sustainment of outcomes. Furthermore, augmenting sense of control and starting treatment sooner after diagnosing CFS could positively influence long-term outcome. Interventions aimed at pain management deserve more attention in research.

Long-term implications of autologous HCT for caregiver quality of life: how does the survivor's health matter?

This study examines caregiver quality of life (CQOL) 3-26years after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for patients with lymphoma. Using a framework that views the patient-caregiver dyad as a system of mutual influence, we argue that CQOL is associated with survivor functional health status and sense of personal control. Ninety-nine autologous HCT survivor-caregiver dyads participated. CQOL was measured using the Caregiver Quality of Life Scale-Cancer. Survivor functional health status was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Sense of control was examined using an instrument from the MIDUS II study. Clinical measures were collected from medical records. After controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariates, caregivers with higher sense of control had higher CQOL. Poorer survivor functional health was associated with lower CQOL but only when the survivor reported low personal control. When the survivor reported high personal control, functional health was not a factor. Lower CQOL was observed for younger and more educated caregivers. In contrast, more education among survivors was linked to higher CQOL. These results (1) support using a mutuality framework for the study of long-term outcomes of caregivers, (2) suggest the importance of ongoing support for caregivers, and (3) help identify caregivers at risk for poorer adaptation. Poorer survivor functional health is a risk factor, but its adverse implications can be offset by higher caregiver and survivor sense of control, a psychological resource aiding caregiver adaptation. These findings can inform the development of support programs for long-term caregivers.

Impact of patients' access to medical records in occupational medicine.

Information technologies offer new ways to engage with patients regarding their health, but no studies have been done in occupational health services (OHS). To examine the advantages and disadvantages of providing written and oral medical information to patients in OHS. In this cross-sectional study, data were retrieved from patients visiting four different OHS during 2014-15 for a fitness for work evaluation. We built a semi-quantitative satisfaction questionnaire, with responses ranging on a Likert scale of 1-5 from very dissatisfied (1) to very satisfied (5). There were 287 questionnaires available for analysis. The number of patients who received detailed oral and written information, which included an explanation of their health condition and of the occupational physician's (OP's) decision, was higher in clinics 1 and 3 compared to clinics 2 and 4 (48 and 38% compared to 21 and 31% respectively, P < 0.05). When patients were provided with detailed oral and written information, they declared having a better understanding (4.3 and 4.4 compared to 3.8 respectively, P < 0.001), a higher level of confidence in their OP (4.4 and 4.3 compared to 3.7 and 4 respectively, P < 0.001), a higher level of satisfaction (4.3 and 4.4 compared to 3.8 respectively, P < 0.001) and a higher sense of control and ability to correct the record (1.8 compared to 1.4 respectively, P < 0.01), compared to patients who received partial information. We recommend sharing detailed oral and written medical information with patients in OHS.

Farmer adoption of cover crops in the western Lake Erie basin

Runoff from agricultural nutrient applications is the most significant human factor leading to phosphorus (P) loading and water quality issues in western Lake Erie. Recent research shows that cover crops, which can be effective at reducing nutrient runoff and preserving soil health, have a very low adoption rate among farmers living in the western Lake Erie basin compared to other recommended best management practices. In order to identify ways to improve outreach and engagement to increase adoption, we used multinomial logistic regression to assess the socioeconomic and psychological factors that influence farmers9 willingness to adopt cover crops. The model indicates that farmers were more likely to be using cover crops already if they were more willing to take risks, more educated, owned more acreage, had a higher sense of control over nutrient loss, and had greater response efficacy (i.e., stronger beliefs about the effectiveness of cover crops at reducing P runoff). Farmers were more willing to adopt cover crops in the future if they were younger, had a stronger conservation identity, owned more acreage, had less gross farm income, and had greater response efficacy. Consistent with previous findings, emphasizing the effectiveness of cover crops at achieving relevant outcomes (e.g., reducing P loss, improving soil health, etc.) and highlighting how to achieve the benefits may be one way to encourage farmers to adopt this practice regardless of individual differences in education, land tenure, and other factors. A stronger belief in the benefits over time should help minimize the short-term risk associated with cover crop adoption, and decrease the uncertainty that many farmers associate with cover crop implementation.

Sense of control and adolescents' aggression: The role of aggressive cues.

The misperception of aggressive cues is considered a risk factor for inducing adolescent aggression. Poor coping with life stress is also considered a major influence on aggression. The current study examined the relationship between subjective sense of control and adolescent aggression, considering influences upon the perception of these aggressive cues. In Study 1, 60 participants took part in a 2 (sense of control: high sense of control vs. low sense of control) × 2 (aggressive cue: aggressive vs. neutral) between-subjects contextual experiment. The result found that a lower sense of control led to an increase in adolescents' aggression; only in the low-sense-of-control condition did exposure to aggressive cues boost aggression. In Study 2, the catalytic effect of aggressive cues was further explored by an experiment in which 40 adolescents were randomly assigned to a low- or high-sense-of-control condition to test the importance of aggressive cues. The results suggest that adolescents in the low-sense-of-control condition show a higher salience for aggressive cues.

Socioeconomic status, perceived control, diurnal cortisol, and physical symptoms: A moderated mediation model

Social class is a robust predictor of health, with risk for disease and mortality increasing towards the lower end of the socioeconomic (SES) spectrum. While certain psychological characteristics, such as high sense of control, can protect low-SES individuals from adverse health outcomes, very few studies have investigated the biological mechanisms underlying these relationships. In this study, we tested whether sense of control mitigated the associations between SES and cortisol activity, and SES and physical health in daily life (i.e., number and severity of physical symptoms). Next, we tested whether individual differences in cortisol secretion would act as a mechanism by which SES and perceived control influenced physical health. In a large national sample from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey, we found that SES interacted with perceived control in predicting morning cortisol levels, cortisol slopes, number of physical symptoms, and severity of physical symptoms. Specifically, SES disparities in these health outcomes were more pronounced among individuals reporting low levels of perceived control than among individuals endorsing high levels of perceived control. Further, we found that a flatter cortisol slope mediated the link between lower SES and greater number and severity of physical symptoms for those individuals who reported lower levels of perceived control, but not for individuals reporting higher levels of perceived control. These findings suggest that perception of greater control may act as a buffer against the effect of low SES on health-related physiological processes.

Thai Buddhism and well-being: an application of stress process theory

The purpose of this study was to explore how Buddhism is associated with well-being among Thai Buddhists via an application of stress process theory. Survey data were collected in 2012 from 314 Thai citizens and analysed with structural equation modelling to assess how the association between socio-economic status (SES) and well-being is mediated by stressors and resources, in particular, religious resources. The results reveal that low SES is associated with greater financial hardship and household crowding and lower sense of control, which in turn are associated with worse well-being. Furthermore, income is associated with happiness via belief in Dharma control, whereas education is associated with unhappiness via its negative association with public religiosity. Lastly, the positive influence of religious beliefs on well-being is contingent upon having a relatively high sense of control, whereas the positive influence of religious behaviours is contingent upon having a relatively low sense of control.

Adolescent Sense of Control: A Downward Extension of the Shapiro Control Inventory to Pre- and Early Adolescents

ABSTRACT The most commonly used measures of perceived control for young adolescents are dated, psychometrically flawed, or focused on particular domains. To address the need for a general purpose measure of control for this age range, the overall sense of control (OSOC) and the domains of control (DOC) subscales of the Shapiro Control Inventory (D. H. Shapiro, 1994), designed for use with adults, were modified. Exploratory factor analyses suggested that the adapted OSOC and DOC scales consisted of internally consistent 1-factor structures, accounting for 32% and 29% of the variance, respectively. In Study 1, results from 310 preadolescents (9–13 years old) indicated that a higher sense of control was related to lower stress, OSOC, r(308) = −.52, p < .001; DOC, r(308) = −.23, p < .001; and depression, OSOC, r(308) = −.63, p < .001; DOC, r(308) = −.33, p < .001. In study 2, results from 195 adolescents (11–15 years old) showed that a higher sense of control was associated with lower stress, r(193) = −.55, p < .001, and depression, r(193) = −.60, p < .001, concurrently. The results suggest that these 2 revised measures of adolescent perceived control exhibited good content and predictive validities.