ABSTRACT
Attempted control is overt behavior by a human in the belief that the behavior increases or decreases the probability of some subsequent condition and the increase or decrease is desirable. Such conceptualization runs contrary to a pernicious belief that is common in sociology: constructive research and impressive theories are possible without confronting conceptual issues. Many social and behavioral scientists will have misgivings about defining control by reference to beliefs, and some of them explicitly state that control may be intentional or unintentional; but without that reference the distinction between successful and unsuccessful control is lost, along with the repetitional principle. The present conceptualization presumes that descriptions of overt behavior are bound to distort unless reference is made to internal behavior. Attempted inanimate control is overt behavior by a human in the belief that the behavior increases or decreases the probability of an inanimate thing's existence or a change in the thing's characteristics and the increase or decrease is desirable.
