The Importance of Perceptions of Control

Just the perception of being in control is a very important buffer against negative stress. So many of our compulsions, like obsessive compulsive disorder, are linked with creating feelings of control trying to protect against anxiety and stress. If you give someone control over when they're going to get a mild shock, the activation of their amygdala is far less than if they're simply informed a shock will occur but have absolutely no control over when.