Perceived control over traumatic events: Is it always adaptive?

This chapter provides an overview of my research programme on the relations between perceived control and adjustment to traumatic events, including victimisation. I will begin with a review of some early research on attributions and then describe a new model of perceived control and the development of a new measure of perceived control. I will then review some findings regarding whether the relations between control and adjustment differ as a function of characteristics of the person or event. Finally, I will describe an online intervention we are developing that is designed to increase perceived control over stressful and traumatic events.