My Understanding of Control Theory

If you google 'control theory', you are going to find some long-worded definition that has to do with engineering and mathematics, which would be great for people like my brother, the engineer, but I'm a designer. The designer definition of control theory is "a sense of control over our world and our place in it." To elaborate that and dumb it down at the same time, people like to be in control of their environment, control is what makes people comfortable or uncomfortable in a familiar place or even unfamiliar places. A broad example of a place one would feel comfortable in, even if it is unfamiliar environment would be a place that is easily navigated with well lit areas of interest and easily seen directional signs. As for the theory itself, there are three types of control that play a part. Those types are cognitive control, behavioral control, and decisional control.

Cognitive control is the ability to change the way in which we perceive an environment. So for this example, I'm going to set the scene. You walk into a building, to the right are closed double doors that lead down a long, dimly lit hallway, however, that is also the hall you need to go down to reach your desired destination. Do you feel like you are going the correct way or that you desire to go in that direction? Most likely the answer is no. On the other hand if the same hallway had open doors, brighter lights, and a sign that said what room number was designated for what, you would feel more comfortable in knowing where you are going and more in control. This changed the way in which you perceive the same environment.

Behavioral control is the ability to change the environmental event. This is changing your behavior to increase your feeling of control. How I use this type of control is with my phone. When alone standing in a line, sitting on a bus, or just walking around campus I often either have headphones in, or I'm looking at my phone to distract myself from having to make eye contact with every stranger I pass. This gives me a greater sense of control because I avoid the awkwardness of the eye contact, I have made myself for comfortable.

Decisional control is the ability to choose a response. This one is pretty straight forward, you can choose. You can choose to go right or you can choose to go left and the sense of control is liberating, so when you get in a place that you either only have one way to go, or you don't know what way to go, then your control is diminished instantly making you less comfortable.

In short, control directly relates to comfort. As a designer I have to strive to make my designs straight forward to direct traffic in the desired direction and avoid conflict for a spaces intended use. To accomplish this I have to keep in mind the three elements of the control theory; Behavioral, decisional, and cognitive control.

Citations

Lewis, Liz. “Environment and Behavior.” Login - East Tennessee State University. Class, 21 Oct. 2017, Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University, elearn.etsu.edu/d2l/le/content/6900458/viewContent/47459256/View.

Hallway Picture.” Trip Advisor, media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/09/46/3e/57/remm-shin-osaka.jpg.

Mallette, Linnaea. “Right & Left Turn Only Arrow.” Public Domain Pictures.net, www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=105276&picture=right-amp-left-turn-only-arrow-sign.