Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) has been around for over 50 years, leaving a trail of papers, books, websites, posts, conversations, videos all over the web. This is a quick guide to get started with the most basic materials: introductory texts, books, demonstrations, papers, websites and finding others interested in PCT. Welcome!
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Control is a process of acting on the world we perceive to make it the way we want it to be, and to keep it that way. Examples of control: standing upright; walking; steering a car; scrambling eggs; scratching an itch; knitting socks; singing a tune. Extruding a pseudopod to absorb a nanospeck of food (all organisms control, not only human beings). The smallest organisms control by biochemical means, bigger ones by means of a nervous system.
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A simple start…
PCT stands for Perceptual Control Theory. Big words, eh?
The ‘big idea’ behind PCT is simple but don’t be surprised if it takes a while to get your head around.
This is it….
‘Behaviour is the control of perception’
That’s it.
Or more simply, we do things to get what we want – now that sounds too simple!
Let’s take it a step at a time…
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Elements of the control loop have been labeled slightly different by different people at different times and for different purposes, whether for a very plain explanation or for more mathematical treatment of the physical functions. Dag Forssell describes the elements of the control loop step by step, as an introduction to the basics of PCT.
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International Association for Perceptual Control Theory
PCT is emerging as a force in robotics. PCT lends itself well to the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics because it provides an exact mathematical framework to model psychological processes. […]
Education is about more than teaching. Within education we need to know how to motivate students, how can we maximise the degree to which people learn, and often, how do we manage students or pupils when they don’t want to learn, or they disrupt others? […]
In explaining how living things control their perception, PCT is clearly highly relevant to psychology. Contemporary articles are making the case to the wider establishment that closed-loop, circular causality is much closer to how living systems actually function than the approach researchers still use. […]
When people find themselves struggling control has been disrupted. It is the loss of control not control, therefore, that is the problem when people are psychologically distressed. […]
At present, the application of PCT to Law is at its early stages. Hugh Gibbons is one exception. He has co-authored a biological model of human rights based around the tenets of PCT and he also illustrates a case using PCT in this book, “The Death of Jeffrey Stapleton”, published online. […]
A comprehensive introduction to PCT and its implications for the social and physical environment, on a global scale, are described in an online article by Kent McClelland. There are also a number of online articles that relate […]
To manage a successful business, you need to know what people want, how your business is perceived, and how to deal with people. It’s ripe for a PCT approach! […]
Richard S. Marken, and Timothy A. Carey Australian Academic Press (February 3, 2016) Book description “We need to strive for a world where people control what is important to themselves while minimizing the controlling of […]
Dag Forssell “When i first learned of PCT about seven years ago, I read everything I could get my hands on and your articles, for me, most clearly explained PCT. Somehow, your unique use of […]
Edited by Warren Mansell First edition – May 16, 2020 The Interdisciplinary Handbook of Perceptual Control Theory brings together the latest research, theory, and applications from W. T. Powers’ Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) that proposes […]
Warren Mansell, Timothy A. Carey, and Sara J. Tai Routledge; 1st edition (November 27, 2012) Book description Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice for most mental health problems. Each different problem is […]
Timothy A. Carey, Warren Mansell, and Sara J. Tai 2015, Routledge. ISBN 9780415738781 Book Description Many current approaches to the treatment of psychological problems focus on specific disorders and techniques that are purported to be […]
Philip J. Runkel “I started reading your book to see whatever you have to say about systems. Then I really got fascinated by your book and read it from start to finish. Very impressive! And […]