Which of the following statements about perceptions of personal control in relation to stress is true?

• A. Feeling a lack of control over stressors generally leads to increased resilience.
• B. Individuals who perceive greater personal control over stressful situations tend to experience lower levels of psychological distress.
• C. Perceptions of personal control have no impact on how people respond to stress.
• D. Personal control is unrelated to coping strategies used during stressful events.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of 'perceptions of personal control' in psychology, which refers to an individual's belief about how much influence they have over events affecting them, especially stressful situations.
2. Recognize that research in stress and coping shows that when people feel they have control over stressors, they are more likely to use effective coping strategies and experience less psychological distress.
3. Analyze each statement by comparing it to established psychological findings: for example, feeling a lack of control typically increases stress and reduces resilience, not the opposite.
4. Identify that the statement 'Individuals who perceive greater personal control over stressful situations tend to experience lower levels of psychological distress' aligns with empirical evidence and theoretical models like the locus of control and stress appraisal theories.
5. Conclude that perceptions of personal control are indeed related to how people respond to stress, influencing both their psychological distress levels and coping mechanisms.