CONTROLLING OURSELVES, CONTROLLING OUR WORLD - PSYCHOLOGY ROLE IN UNDERSTANDING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF SEEKING AND GAINING CONTROL

This article begins by examining psychology's contributions to underst anding the positive consequences of control for individual mental and physical health. Person-environment control mismatches and the negativ e personal, interpersonal, and societal consequences of seeking and ha ving control are then discussed. As corrections to mismatches and nega tive consequences, three methods of analyses are provided. First, defi nitional and conceptual precision is offered, including a more careful matching of control-related interventions to multidimensional, indivi dual-specific control profiles. Second, therapeutic assessment and int erventions are placed within a biopsychosocial model of control. Final ly, philosophy of science and paradigmatic issues underlying control t heories are highlighted, particularly as they affect psychology's role in examining values toward which control efforts should be directed. These topics are important for people's personal and collective well-b eing.