Ten vital elements of perceptual control theory, tracing the pathway from implicit influence to scientific advance.

The central tenet of Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) is that ‘behavior is the control of perception’. From this tenet, a series of further elements are utiized to provide the necessary conceptual and mathematical detail for building and testing functional models of the behavior of humans, animals and purposeful machines. This chapter traces the elements of PCT, and their empirical scrutiny and critique, across multiple scientific disciplines to converge on a contemporary evaluation of the scientific status of PCT as an interdisciplinary theory of behavior. The chapter concludes with key recommendations for future research and the development of the theory.