Control Freak Test

The Control Freak Test is a research-informed self-report profile based on psychometric methodology and relevant psychological research. The sections below summarize the academic background and explain how each result pattern should be read.

Academic Background

This profile is based on the research of Jerry Burger at Santa Clara University on the desirability of control. Burger and Cooper's 1979 Desirability of Control Scale measures how strongly people are motivated to steer the events around them, and later psychometric work, including Gebhardt and Brosschot's studies at Leiden University, linked high control motivation to strain when influence slips away. The facets below translate that motivation into its everyday forms: oversight, rigid planning, refusal to delegate, and decision dominance.

Micromanaging

Micromanaging is the tendency to exert excessive oversight and scrutiny over the specific steps others take to complete a task. This pattern is driven by a deep-seated need to ensure that every detail aligns with one’s personal standards, often leading to frequent interventions in other people’s tasks. Those who lean toward this style prioritize precision and predictability, fearing that a lack of direct involvement will result in errors or subpar outcomes. While it provides a sense of security and quality control, the tradeoff is a reduction in the autonomy and morale of those being managed, as they may feel stifled or distrusted.

Plan Rigidity

Plan Rigidity is the tendency to feel significant unease when schedules change or when circumstances deviate from a predetermined course. This pattern reflects a desire to use structure as a shield against the anxiety of the unknown, favoring a predictable, step-by-step approach over spontaneity. Individuals with this trait often find it difficult to remain calm when plans fall apart, viewing flexibility as a threat to their sense of order and effectiveness. While this commitment to structure can foster efficiency and reliability, it often comes at the cost of adaptability, making it difficult to navigate the inevitable surprises and shifts that occur in daily life.

Delegation Refusal

Delegation Refusal is the tendency to prefer handling tasks personally rather than relying on others, even when doing so is inefficient or burdensome. This pattern is rooted in a belief that one is uniquely responsible for the final result, leading to a reluctance to hand off work or trust others with important duties. Those who exhibit this trait often feel that explaining a task takes more effort than simply doing it themselves. While this self-reliance can ensure that work meets specific expectations, it frequently results in burnout and limits the growth of others, as the individual struggles to surrender control for the sake of collaboration.

Decision Dominance

Decision Dominance is the tendency to insist on having the final say and guiding the direction of group choices. This pattern is motivated by a need for authority and the belief that one’s own ideas are the most secure path to a desired outcome. Individuals with this trait feel most comfortable when they are the ones making the call, often pushing their own agenda during shared decision-making processes. While this assertiveness can drive projects forward and provide clear leadership, it often creates a power imbalance, discouraging others from contributing their own perspectives and potentially overlooking valuable input from the rest of the team.

Limitations

Educational self-report. It does not diagnose obsessive-compulsive or any other disorder.

References

• Burger, J. M. & Cooper, H. M. (1979). The desirability of control. Motivation and Emotion, 3(4), 381-393.
• Gebhardt, W. A. & Brosschot, J. F. (2002). Desirability of control: psychometric properties and relationships with locus of control, personality, coping, and mental and somatic complaints in three Dutch samples. European Journal of Personality, 16(6), 423-438.
• Brown, C. C. (2017). Google Scholar. The Charleston Advisor, 19(2), 31-34.
• Stefan, S. & David, D. (2013). Recent developments in the experimental investigation of the illusion of control. A meta‐analytic review. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43(2), 377-386.