Illusions of control are explored in a wide variety of domains--from the micro level of the self and interpersonal relations to the macro level of large organizations and intergroup and international relations. The authors argue that people are motivated to control the world, and in particular, to control future events. This tendency is strong in Western industrialized societies, where modern science is seen as a means through which humans can gain mastery over environmental conditions. The tendency to control can have positive and negative consequences. Illusions of control are often...