This bang out of thinking is thought to play a role in superstitions,gamblingbehavior, and paranormal beliefs.
This occurs even when people have no actual influence over what happens.
Wearing a lucky baseball cap to help your favorite team win is one example of this phenomenon.
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Characteristics
The illusion of control can affect people in a wide variety of contexts and situations.
This illusion may occur because people mistake random chance for skill.
It often leads people to invest time and energy into ineffective, unhelpful, or even counterproductive actions.
You might waste time or money engaging in behaviors that don’t influence the outcome at all.
Those resources may have been better spent on things that do have the power to benefit your life.
While this illusion is usually viewed in a negative light, it can have positive effects.
Because it creates a false sense of control, it may lead people to take unnecessary risks.
This can have devastating financial consequences that have long-term effects on an individual’s life.
However, one study found that the opposite is true when the situation involves avoiding a negative outcome.
Yarritu I, Matute H, Vadillo MA.Illusion of control: the role of personal involvement.Exp Psychol.
2014;21(4):1087-93. doi:10.3758/s13423-014-0584-7
