Nipping Temptation in the Bud: Examining Strategic Self-Control in Daily Life. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Williamson, Laverl Z.; Wilkowski, Benjamin M.
• Is Part Of: Personality & social psychology bulletin. Volume 46:Number 6(2020)
• Page Start: 961
• Page End: 975
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: self-control -- self-regulation -- strategic self-control -- daily life; Personality -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1177/0146167219883606
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0146-1672

Abstract

Self-control is often thought to be reactive and focused solely on the inhibition of responses elicited by temptations. In two studies, we assessed whether self-control can instead (a) be planned and (b) target the antecedents of the response to temptation. We assessed self-control planning, four antecedent-focused self-control strategies (i.e., situation-selection, situation-modification, distraction, and reappraisal) and one response-focused strategy (i.e., response-inhibition). In both studies, we found that self-control planning predicted the initiation of self-control independently of temptation. Each antecedent-focused self-control strategy uniquely predicted goal-progress. Response-inhibition did not produce consistent effects on goal-progress. These studies provide evidence that people proactively initiate self-control by targeting the antecedents of temptation and that doing so supports goal-progress.