In Control and Glad of It!
CAROLINE AVERY AND MADDIE MILLS
Background
 Need to control: human nature
 Loss of control: anxiety, anger, outrage, etc.
 Happier with power to choose
 Old age: can’t make decisions for oneself
 Langer and Rodin

Nursing home: more control, improved behavior
Experiment
 Arden House
 Similar physical/psychological health, socioeconomic
background, age 65 - 90
 Message
 4th Floor: care for themselves, decide how spend their time
 2nd Floor: home wants to make lives more interesting
 Measure Outcomes
 2 questionnaires
 Attendance of movie
 Jelly beans in jar
Findings/Conclusions
 4th Floor: Happier, more active, “improved
condition”, alert, etc.
 More responsibility and decision making power,
lives/attitudes improve
 Returned 18 months,
long-term effects
Historical Significance
 Power of control has effects on happiness and health,
short and long-term
 Applicable
 Increase behavioral choice (personal and that of
others)
Controversy
 Unethical: well-being of participants
 Only
15% of 4th floor participants passed away
 30% of 2nd floor participants passed away
Recent Applications
 Krampe (2003):
 Study of depression
 lack of perceived freedom and personal choice predictors of
depression
 Iyengar & Lepper (2000):
 Limited choices, versus a much wider variety (ie. 6 vs. 30)
 Less choices, but still having options is better
Conclusion/Significance
 Personal power and control affect happiness and
healthiness

Increasing role of behavior helps one live happier and
healthier
 Growing awareness can help make hospitals, nursing
homes, and other institution
settings require increased
choice and personal power