Self-Control Concepts

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to self-control as discussed in the lecture.

self-control

The tendency to act in our own best interests and choose wisely.

Skinner's view on self-control

Involves problems with conflicting outcomes and how behaviors have both good and bad consequences.

Controlling responses according to Skinner

• Physical Restraint:

• Stimulus Control

• Deprivation and Satiation

• Distraction

• Self-Reinforcement/Punishment

• Informing Others of Goals

• Monitoring Behavior

Ainslie & Rachlin's view

• Self-control as a temporal issue:

  • More heavily influenced by immediate consequences as opposed to delayed consequences.

Temporal issue in self-control

The choice between a smaller, sooner reward versus a larger, later reward.

Reward value and delay relationship

As reward delivery approaches, its value increases sharply.

hyperbolic decay model

Predicts preference reversal and provides a solution to self-control problems.

Traditional

willpower

Graph, what is it telling us?

• The graph illustrates the relationship between reward value and delay:

  • As time progresses and rewards draw nearer, their perceived value increases.

  • Initially, the increase in value is slow, but it sharpens significantly as the reward becomes imminent.

  • Hyperbolic function: When a reward is distant, its value changes slowly; as it approaches, the value escalates sharply.

  • The maximum value occurs when the reward is delivered, highlighting that preferences for rewards can shift based on proximity.