Self-control & self-control training

Question 1

What is self-control?

Answer 1

The self’s capacity to suppress or change one’s inner responses, as well as to interrupt undesired behavioral tendencies and to refrain from acting on them

Question 2

Does self-control fit the motivational or volitional phase?

Answer 2

The volitional phase

Question 3

Which two implications does the Strength Model of Self-control suggest that the capacity for self-control has?
Compare it to the metaphor that this capacity is like a muscle

Answer 3

1. Ego depletion
   Exerting self-control leads to temporary exhaustion and increases the likelihood of self-control failure.
   Just like a muscle, it can become fatigued and have a reduced capacity to apply additional strength.
2. Training hypothesis
   Repeated practice of self-control will strengthen the self-control muscle and increase the ability to resist fatigue

Question 4

What are moderators of self-control?

Answer 4

• Motivation
• Subjective perception of being depleted
• Personal beliefs about willpower*
• Positive mood & self-affirmation
• Self-efficacy

*willpower = the capacity to exert self-control

Question 5

What is trait self-control and smart self-control?

Answer 5

Trait self-control: refers to a stable characteristic or personality trait that indicates an individual’s overall capacity to regulate their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors across various situations.

Smart self-control: refers to a strategic and adaptive approach to self-regulation that emphasizes the importance of planning, flexibility, and informed decision-making in managing one’s impulses and behaviors.

→ People who have more trait self-control, tend to rely more on smart self-control strategies

Question 6

What is the health promotion technique ‘self-control training’?

Answer 6

It involves the repeated practice of self-control, which improves
performance on other self-control-related tasks

Question 7

Some studies found a large effect of self-control training in dual-task paradigm.
What is meant by the dual-task paradigm?

Answer 7

A research design in which participants are asked to perform two different tasks simultaneously. These tasks may require various cognitive, motor, or perceptual skills (e.g. brushing teeth with non-dominant hand, balancing on one leg while solving riddles, etc.)

Question 8

What are moderators of self-control training?

Answer 8

• Self-control stamina > self-control strength
• Strength model proponents involved
• Passive control condition > active control condition*
• Male > Female
• This statement indicates that a passive control condition (where participants may be allowed to engage in their usual behaviors or are given minimal guidance) is more effective than an active control condition (where participants actively engage in specific self-control exercises or strategies). It may suggest that allowing individuals some autonomy or not imposing strict controls leads to better self-control outcomes than structured, demanding interventions.

Question 9

What are two pathways to effortless self-control?

Answer 9

1. Habits
2. Situational (smart) self-control strategies

Question 10

What is the impulse-generation cycle?

Answer 10

The impulse-generation cycle is a model that shows how different situational/smart strategies are used to manage emotions and impulses

Question 11

What are the five situational/smart strategies mentioned in the impulse-generation cycle? Also give an example for each strategy about ‘you don’t want to buy candy’

Answer 11

1. Situation selection
   e.g. You try to go to a healthy supermarket or buy your products online.
2. Situation modification
   You decide to take a different route in the store or avoid the candy aisle entirely.
3. Attentional deployment
   You try to look at your cart or the floor when in the candy aisle.
4. Cognitive change
   You think of your long-term goals or take a look at the ingredients list of the candy and how bad it is for you.
5. Response modulation
   You practice deep breathing or self-affirmations to calm yourself down when feeling the urge to buy candy.

Question 12

Are these statements true or false:
- Self-control was not related to healthy habit and intake

• In eating behavior, self-control primarily works through inhibition

Answer 12

True.
- While self-control helps in resisting unhealthy habits and intake, it doesn’t necessarily lead to an increase in actively choosing healthy habits or intake.

• Self-control functions mainly work by helping people inhibit or stop themselves from engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as eating junk food. It’s not about making positive choices (e.g., choosing healthier foods), but rather about using willpower to refrain from bad habits. The role of self-control in eating behavior is more about resisting temptations than promoting healthier alternatives.