Full Description
The concept of the "locus of control" is one of the most influential in all of the psychological sciences. Initially proposed by Julian Rotter in 1966, the year 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of this remarkable breakthrough, subsequently inspiring thousands of research studies in the human sciences - research that has only served to deepen the utility of this amazing concept.
Edited by John W. Reich and Frank J. Infurna, Perceived Control: Theory, Research, and Practice in the First 50 Years commemorates this important anniversary by featuring contributions from leading figures of the time - some of whom were there at the very beginning of Rotter's breakthrough - to give readers a valuable historical record and measuring stick to illustrate how far we've come. Other contributors to this volume expertly present contemporary and cutting-edge summaries of the current state of our knowledge all while giving us a roadmap for future developments and directions. What have these developments revealed about basic human strengths and capacities? Why has this concept proven so remarkably effective in illuminating our everyday life in sickness and health?
Perceived Control is a fascinating work that incorporates research from Rotter's original concept, and addresses many of the leading comparable concepts that have since evolved: self-efficacy, personal mastery, competence, primary and secondary control, and more specific topics such as health locus of control, learned helplessness, and other heuristic concepts discussed in many different fields of psychology and the allied disciplines.
As Perceived Control skillfully attests, Rotter's work continues to thrive, leaving little doubt that its influence will endure for another half century of more.
Contents
Chapter 1: Perceived Control: 50 Years of Innovation and Another 50 to Go
Frank J. Infurna and John W. Reich
Chapter 2: Internal versus External Locus of Control: An Early History
Bonnie R. Strickland
Chapter 3: And the Wisdom to Know the Difference: Locus of Control and Desire for Control
Jerry M. Burger
Chapter 4: The Cultural Context of Control
Beth Morling
Chapter 5: An Autobiography of Rotter's Social Learning Theory Modified for Health
Kenneth Wallston
Chapter 6: Perceived Control and Mindfulness (Controlling the Impossibility of Controllability)
Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi and Ellen J. Langer
Chapter 7: Foundations of Locus of Control: Looking Back Over a Half-Century of Research in Locus of Control of Reinforcement
Stephen Nowicki and Marshall P. Duke
Chapter 8: Three Generations of Research on Perceived Control
Patricia Frazier, Howard Tennen, and Liza Meredith
Chapter 9: Perceived Control and Behavior Change: A Personalized Approach
Stephanie A. Robinson and Margie E. Lachman
Chapter 10: Perceived Control and Depression: Forty Years of Research
Liza M. Rubenstein, Lauren B. Alloy, and Lyn Y. Abramson
Chapter 11: Control Striving and Control Perception in a Lifespan Developmental Framework
Brandilynn Villareal and Jutta Heckhausen
Chapter 12: Control Strategies for Managing Physical Health Problems in Old Age: Evidence for the Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development
Meaghan Barlow, Carsten Wrosch, Jutta Heckhausen, and Richard Schulz
Chapter 13: Seven Guideposts to the Study of Perceived Control Across the Lifespan
Ellen Skinner
