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Illusion of control
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==By proxy== At times, people attempt to gain control by transferring responsibility to more capable or βluckierβ others to act for them. By forfeiting direct control, it is perceived to be a valid way of maximizing outcomes. This illusion of control by proxy is a significant theoretical extension of the traditional illusion of control model. People will of course give up control if another person is thought to have more knowledge or skill in areas such as medicine where actual skill and knowledge are involved. In cases like these it is entirely rational to give up responsibility to people such as doctors. However, when it comes to events of pure chance, allowing another to make decisions (or gamble) on one's behalf, because they are seen as luckier is not rational and would go against people's well-documented desire for control in uncontrollable situations. However, it does seem plausible since people generally believe that they can possess luck and employ it to advantage in games of chance, and it is not a far leap that others may also be seen as lucky and able to control uncontrollable events.<ref name = "Subramaniam_2017">{{cite journal | vauthors = Subramaniam M, Chong SA, Browning C, Thomas S | title = Cognitive distortions among older adult gamblers in an Asian context | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 12 | issue = 5 | pages = e0178036 | date = 2017-05-18 | pmid = 28542389 | pmc = 5436884 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0178036 | veditors = Perales JC | doi-access = free }}</ref> In a study conducted in Singapore, the perception of control, luck, and skill when gambling led to an increase in gambling behavior.<ref name = "Subramaniam_2017" /> In one instance, a lottery pool at a company decides who picks the numbers and buys the tickets based on the wins and losses of each member. The member with the best record becomes the representative until they accumulate a certain number of losses and then a new representative is picked based on wins and losses. Even though no member is truly better than the other and it is all by chance, they still would rather have someone with seemingly more luck to have control over them.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wohl MJ, Enzle ME | title = Illusion of control by proxy: placing one's fate in the hands of another | journal = The British Journal of Social Psychology | volume = 48 | issue = Pt 1 | pages = 183β200 | date = March 2009 | pmid = 18034916 | doi = 10.1348/014466607x258696 }}<!--|access-date=7 March 2013--></ref> In another real-world example, in the 2002 Olympics men's and women's hockey finals, Team Canada beat Team USA. Prior to the match, a [[Loonie#Lucky loonie|Canadian coin]] was secretly placed under the ice before the game, an action which the players and officials believed would bring them luck. The members of Team Canada were the only people who knew the coin had been placed there. The coin was later put in the Hockey Hall of Fame where there was an opening so people could touch it. People believed they could transfer luck from the coin to themselves by touching it, and thereby change their own luck.<ref name="OlympicHistory">{{cite book | vauthors = Podnieks A |title=Canada's Olympic Hockey History 1920β2010 |year=2009 |publisher=Fenn Publishing |location=Toronto |page=[https://archive.org/details/canadasolympicho0000podn/page/201 201] |isbn=978-1-55168-323-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/canadasolympicho0000podn/page/201 }}</ref>
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