Perceived Personal Control (Essay Sample)

Perceived Personal Control Name Institutional Affiliation Perceived Personal Control Perceived Personal Control (PCC) is a valued outcome that clinicians use to capture decisional, behavioral, and cognitive control among patients (McAllister, Wood, Dunn, Shiloh & Todd, 2012). It was developed by Berkenstart and his colleagues as a measure for evaluating the process and outcomes of genetic counseling in different settings. Today, clinicians, counselors, and caregivers use perceived personal control to determine the well being of various groups, older adults included. Previous studies have hypothesized and shown that low-perceived personal control leads to adverse health outcomes (McAllister et al., 2012). Stronger control, on the other hand, is a predictor of positive health outcomes. The incongruence and mismatch between environmental contingencies and beliefs held by people with poor perceived personal control lead to stress and reduced quality of life. In the long run, these changes contribute to other adverse health outcomes, such as reduced immune function and increased neuroendocrine activity. There are several ways to increase perceived personal control among older adults. According to Maller, Claver, and Lares (2013), older adults can gain more perceived personal control by enhancing responsibility, personal choices, and control over their lives. Furthermore, they can acquire vital skills by taking part in action plans and programs that help them deal with chronic conditions, managed stress, and communicate well with caregivers and other health care practitioners. Unfortunately, the society influences the ability of older adults to gain or lose control. In the United States, for example, the community helps such people to enhance their PPC by letting them take part in action plans that give vital skills, such as stress management. In other cases, however, older adults lose control when denied the opportunity to make important decisions and take more responsibility for their everyday life. Younger people should strive not to lose their sense of control as they get older for them to age successfully. More specifically, they should understand the concept of aging in order to know some of the significant changes that accompany the process. Secondly, young people should take part in activities that promote good health as they grow in order to enhance their quality of life and gain more control over their daily lives. Finally, they should play an active role in deciding what to do and what happens to them so that they can age gracefully. Summary The concept of perceived personal control has always been an important area and topic of research. Langer and Rodin (1976) conducted an experiment to explore the effect of increased personal responsibility and choices on a population of nursing home residents. The research took place in one of the finest nursing homes in the state of Connecticut. The home boasted of a modern and large floor design. Besides, it looked comfortable, clean, efficient, and cheerful. Rather than randomly placing patients into different study groups, the researchers selected different floors to provide subjects for each category. More specifically, the responsibility team was made up of 39 females and 8 males while the comparison group had 35 females and 9 males (Langer & Rodin, 1976). The researchers inc...