Luck or skill? Why we think we can control random events

Have you ever believed that choosing a particular number, following a certain ritual, or making a specific move could change the outcome of something completely random?

In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the illusion of control — a psychological bias that makes us overestimate our ability to influence events that are actually governed by chance. We examine why humans instinctively search for patterns and control, even in situations where neither exists.

But why do we find it so difficult to accept that some things are simply out of our hands? Discover how the illusion of control shapes our decisions, influences our confidence and reveals our complicated relationship with uncertainty.

Studies and links

• The Illusion of Control | Ellen J. Langer | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1975, vol 32, no 2, 311-328
• Why do we think we have more control over the world than we do? | The Decision Lab