Consumer Sense of Control:

Abstract

Sense of control refers to a person’s belief that he or she is capable of obtaining desired outcomes, avoiding undesired outcomes, and achieving goals. This concept has been raised and studied by sociologists, but in recent years, there has been a gradual increase in research on the impact of consumer sense of control. However, a comprehensive review in this field is still lacking. This paper provides an overview of previous research on four aspects of consumer sense of control: (1) sense of control and compensatory behavior, (2) sense of control and emotional coping, (3) sense of control and charitable behavior, and (4) desire for control. Furthermore, the paper highlights three directions as key areas of future research: (a) exploring antecedents of sense of control, (b) investigating underlying psychological mechanisms of compensatory behavior resulting from a reduced sense of control, and (c) examining moderating effects on desire for control.

Keywords

• compensatory behavior
• emotional coping
• charitable behavior
• desire for control