M405: Self-control

Self-control

The voluntary regulation of behavioral, emotional, and attentional resources in the face of external demands

Self-control ingredients

1. Standards (personal or societal guidelines)

2. Monitoring progress

3. Strength/energy to change (motivation!)

Classic self-control dilemma:

when you have a long-term goal, but a short-term, low-priority temptation interferes with it

• Indulgence does not mean you fail at self-control

Greater self control leads to…

more positive outcomes and predicts personal and professional success

Ego depletion

Resisting temptation and making decisions depletes a limited pool of self regulatory resources

What does decision fatigue encourage?

status quo bias… when consumers make a lot of difficult decisions, they get really tired by the end

Factors working against us

1. Lack of information

   • Ex. consumers unaware of calorie content

   • Health halo effects

2. Hot-cold empathy gap

State dependence or “presentism”

We tend to overly on our present state of being when predicting how we’ll feel/behave in a different state of being

Hot-cold empathy gap

We underestimate the influence visceral states on our behavior or preferences

Ways to strengthen self-control?

1. “out of sight, out of mind”

2. Implementation intentions

3. Keep track of food and spending

4. Delete certain media apps

5. Partitioning

Too much self-control?

1. Can lead to increased workload

2. Puritanical bias

3. Restricted emotional experience

4. Long-term regret