Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Magical Thinking01:29

Magical Thinking

Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...
Control of Power Flow01:30

Control of Power Flow

There are several methods to control power flow in power systems:
The Power Superposition Principle01:19

The Power Superposition Principle

Consider a circuit with two sinusoidal voltage sources. Each one influences the circuit independently, and the superposition principle helps us understand the combined effect by adding up the responses from each source.
Locus of Control01:26

Locus of Control

Locus of control describes how individuals perceive the causes of events in their lives, influencing motivation and well-being. Introduced by Julian Rotter in 1954, it is categorized into internal and external locus of control.Internal Locus of ControlIndividuals with an internal locus of control believe their actions determine outcomes, fostering responsibility, self-efficacy, and motivation. For example, an employee may attribute career success to hard work. Research links this mindset to...
Self-Regulation01:25

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
Rotter's Locus of Control01:14

Rotter's Locus of Control

Julian Rotter introduced the concept of locus of control, a cognitive factor that significantly influences personality development and learning. Locus of control refers to an individual's beliefs about the extent of control they have over events in their lives. According to Rotter, this belief system can be categorized into two types: internal and external locus of control.
Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that their personal efforts and decisions directly affect their...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The social relations-approach theory of social hierarchy: Understanding the distinct psychological experiences of status and power.

Psychological review·2026
Same author

Gaps in large language model awareness, usage, and perceptions in the United States: Evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal survey.

PNAS nexus·2026
Same author

Education Research: A Behavioral Intervention to Improve Group-Based Diagnostic Quality and Educational Experience Among Neurology Trainees: A Feasibility Study.

Neurology. Education·2025
Same author

The Privilege to be Yourself Depends on What Others Think of You: Social Status Increases Authenticity.

Personality & social psychology bulletin·2025
Same author

The vicious cycle of status insecurity.

Journal of personality and social psychology·2024
Same author

Gender Differences in Climbing up the Ladder: Why Experience Closes the Ambition Gender Gap.

Psychological science·2024
Same journal

Does Overconfidence Really Confer Adaptive Benefits to Children's Learning?

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

How Does the Mind Grow? Cross-Cultural Intuitive Theories of Mental Development.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Not All Practice Is Created Equal: Longitudinal Evidence From Over 40,000 Chess Players.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Eye Glint as a Novel Perceptual Cue in Human Vision.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Multitarget Visual Search Flexibly Switches Between Concurrent and Sequential Search Modes.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Motive Alignment Promotes Adolescents' Proenvironmental Behavior: A Field Experiment in Two Cultures.

Psychological science·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
06:53

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

Illusory control: a generative force behind power's far-reaching effects.

Nathanael J Fast1, Deborah H Gruenfeld, Niro Sivanathan

  • 1Department of Organizational Behavior, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. nfast@stanford.edu

Psychological Science
|March 25, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Experiencing power creates an illusion of personal control, influencing optimism and self-esteem. This illusory control, not just positive mood, drives many effects of power.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
06:53

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • The psychology of power extensively studies its effects on cognition and behavior.
  • Perceived control is a key psychological construct influencing well-being and decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of illusory personal control in mediating the effects of power.
  • To differentiate the effects of illusory control from positive mood in the context of power.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments manipulated or primed the experience of power.
  • A fourth experiment tested for mood as an alternative explanation.
  • Mediational analyses were used to examine the role of perceived control.

Main Results:

  • Experiencing power consistently led to an illusion of personal control over uncontrollable outcomes.
  • Illusory control mediated the effects of power on optimism, self-esteem, and action orientation.
  • Positive mood did not account for the observed effects of power.

Conclusions:

  • Perceived control is a crucial mechanism driving many psychological effects of power.
  • Illusory control, rather than positive mood, is a key consequence and mediator of power.
  • Findings highlight the importance of perceived control in understanding the psychology of power.