Control (psychology)

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In psychology, control is a person's ability or perception of their ability to affect themselves, others, their conditions, their environment or some other circumstance. Control over oneself or others can extend to the regulation of emotions, thoughts, actions, impulses, memory, attention or experiences. There are several types of control, including:

• Perceived control (a person's perception of their own control and abilities to achieve outcomes)
• Desired control (the amount of control one seeks within a relationship or other circumstance)
• Cognitive control (the ability to select one's thoughts and actions)
• Emotional control (the ability to regulate one's feelings or attitudes toward something)
• Motivational control (one's ability to act on prescribed behaviors)
• Inhibitory control (the ability to inhibit thoughts or actions in favor of others)
• Social control (selecting one's environment for personal benefit)
• Ego control (the attempt to regulate impulses or attention processes)
• Effortful control (the ability to regulate how much effort one invests into a goal)