Final answer:
Perceived control has a significant impact on how individuals cope with stress and maintain health; it is positively associated with better health outcomes. Lack of control can lead to learned helplessness, negatively affecting mental and physical health. Social class and access to resources also play crucial roles in this dynamic.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Control and Stress
Within the context of health psychology, the relationship between perceived control and stress is significant. Individuals who believe they have control over their lives and the outcomes of events tend to exhibit better physical and mental health. This sense of control can buffer against the detrimental effects of stress and is associated with behaviors that promote good health. Contrarily, a lack of perceived control can lead to learned helplessness, a state where individuals no longer attempt to escape a negative situation because they feel powerless to change it.
The claim that “The link between perceived control and health may explain the relationship between social class and health outcomes” is accurate, as those in higher social classes often have greater perceived control, which can translate into healthier behaviors and outcomes. People of lower social statuses may experience high stress and poor health due to lack of control and inequality in resources, such as access to health care.
Learned helplessness is not the belief that one can influence outcomes but rather a state wherein a person feels they have no control over events in their life. This can arise from repeated exposure to uncontrollable and negative situations, as famously shown in Seligman’s experiments with dogs, and has profound psychological consequences.
In summary, perceived control is our belief in our capacity to exert influence over and shape our outcomes. It plays a critical role in how we manage stress and maintain health, highlighting the importance of social factors such as class and resource access.