Interesting study
An excerpt from R. Sapolsky's Why zebras don't get ulcers:
"Place two people in adjoining rooms, and expose both to intermittent noxious, loud noises; the person who has a button and believes that pressing it decreases the likelihood of more noise is less hypertensive. In one variant on this experiment, subjects with the button who did not bother to press it did just as well as those who actually pressed the button. Thus, the exercise of control is not critical; rather, it is the belief that you have it. An everyday example: airplanes are safer than cars, yet more of us are phobic about flying. Why? Because, despite the fact that we're at greater risk in a car, most of us in our heart of hearts believe that we are above-average drivers, thus more in control. In an airplane, we have no control at all."
Food for thought.
"Place two people in adjoining rooms, and expose both to intermittent noxious, loud noises; the person who has a button and believes that pressing it decreases the likelihood of more noise is less hypertensive. In one variant on this experiment, subjects with the button who did not bother to press it did just as well as those who actually pressed the button. Thus, the exercise of control is not critical; rather, it is the belief that you have it. An everyday example: airplanes are safer than cars, yet more of us are phobic about flying. Why? Because, despite the fact that we're at greater risk in a car, most of us in our heart of hearts believe that we are above-average drivers, thus more in control. In an airplane, we have no control at all."
Food for thought.