The Interdisciplinary Handbook of Perceptual Control Theory

"This is a marvelous book. It serves as a tribute to Bill Powers, as the father of PCT (now grandfather, as he himself says), and as a comprehensive overview of the history, theory and application of PCT within the social and natural sciences. The subject range is vast, from neurodynamics to organizational psychology, from animal contests to psychotherapy, with each chapter beautifully judged in terms of coverage and detail. The Interdisciplinary Handbook of Perceptual Control Theory thus makes the strongest possible case for PCT as both a unifying theory within psychology, and a bridge to other disciplines. Everyone involved in its production should be congratulated, and everyone else should read it." --Louise Barrett, FRSC, Professor of Psychology, Canada Research Chair in Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

"More than a century after John Dewey's insight that the response is not merely to the stimulus but it is into it, William Powers' community continues to challenge the "central dogma" of behavioral neuroscience: stimulus, then processing and, finally, response. While defining behavior as output is a form of covert anthropomorphism, conceiving behavior as control of perception better respects the nature of life and mind." --Alex Gomez-Marin,  Principal Investigator, Behaviour of Organisms Laboratory Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Unit Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, Alicante, Spain

"Perceptual control theory is a fascinating, complex, and profoundly fertile understanding of human being that combines scientific rigour with a deeply humanistic ethos. This interdisciplinary handbook is a much needed resource which pulls together contemporary thinking and research in the field. Ranging from robotics to neuroscience to psychotherapy, the book will be of great value to those who want to deepen their understanding of this unique approach and apply its insight to the fields of psychological and social practices." --Mick Cooper, Professor of Counselling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK

"This powerful volume is the amplifying extension of Bill Powers’ legacy that the academic world has long needed. While other, more popular psychological theories have foundered in the much discussed "replication crisis", this collection of dogged researchers, and others like them, have quietly and persistently been piling up increasing evidence of the profound explanatory power nestled within the elegant simplicity of PCT. Skillfully curated by editor, Mansell, the rigour of their revolutionary work across a wide spectrum of fields within the biological and social sciences stands as compelling evidence that PCT is no longer simply an idea whose "time has come", but is, rather, a powerful field of application that has well and truly "arrived"." --Tom Scholte, Professor, Department of Theatre and Film, The University of British Columbia

"Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) offers a radically different way of thinking about the world and our place within it, with broad-ranging implications from engineering to psychology to neuroscience to sociology. For the first time, in this fantastic edited volume, the depth and diversity of multi-disciplinary theory and application in PCT have been brought together in one place. The result is a comprehensive introduction to PCT for those new to this approach, as well as an encyclopaedic reference work for those who have already begun to grapple with PCT but want to understand its reach and potential in other domains. This collection is a tremendous contribution to the literature and should be required reading for all those interested in control theory, cybernetics, predictive processing and how the mind and brain navigate a constantly fluctuating and complex world." --Tim Dalgleish, Scientific Programme Leader: The Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK

"This is an exciting book on a simple but very powerful theoretical idea: Behavior is the control of perception. The book witnesses the enormous potential of this theory to bridge various, currently scattered, scientific fields, such as psychology, neuroscience, and robotics. In fact, while the theory was formulated decades ago, it has left nothing of its potential to initiate a scientific revolution, if taken seriously. As such the book is also a wonderful piece about the ups and downs of ideas in the history of science." --Wilfried Kunde, Professor of Psychology, University of Wuerzburg

"This is a superb book, providing a grand tour of the vibrant field of perceptual control theory as applied to the analysis of behaviour. It presents a radically different way of thinking about the nature of complex behaviour and of what the brain is organised to do, to the ones behavioural scientists are typically used to. By presenting a wide range of applications and exemplars, the book illustrates the exciting potential of this well-defined, mathematically tractable and highly biologically plausible framework. Constantly thought-provoking, thoroughly recommended." --Pasco Fearon, Chair in Developmental Psychopathology, University College London, London, UK

"This book offers a superb overview of the rich contribution that perceptual control theory (PCT) is making to the contemporary understanding of behavioural actions. The application of PCT to psychotherapy in Method of Levels therapy and its broader application to organisational dynamics will be of particular interest to mental health practitioners." -- Phil McEvoy, Managing Director, Six Degrees Social Enterprise CIC