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Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

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Be better or be merry: how mood affects self-control.

Ayelet Fishbach¹, Aparna A Labroo

¹Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. ayelet.fishbach@chicagogsb.edu

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

|July 25, 2007

Summary

Positive moods enhance self-control for accessible self-improvement goals but hinder it for mood management goals. This research explores mood

Area of Science:

Psychology
Social Psychology
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

Self-control is crucial for goal achievement and well-being.
The influence of emotional states on self-control is complex and not fully understood.
Existing research suggests mood can impact self-control, but the mechanisms are debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the moderating role of accessible goals on the mood-self-control relationship.
To test the hypothesis that positive moods facilitate adoption of accessible goals, while negative moods promote rejection.
To examine how goal accessibility influences self-control performance across various tasks.

Main Methods:

Conducted six empirical studies involving diverse self-control tasks.
Manipulated participants' mood states (positive, neutral, negative).

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Varied the accessibility of different goals (e.g., self-improvement, mood management).

Main Results:

Positive mood enhanced self-control performance when a self-improvement goal was accessible.
Positive mood led to poorer self-control when a mood management goal was accessible.
Negative mood consistently influenced self-control based on goal accessibility, showing a rejection pattern.

Conclusions:

Mood's effect on self-control is contingent upon the accessibility and nature of one's goals.
Positive moods signal goal adoption, while negative moods signal goal rejection.
Understanding this interaction is key to predicting self-control success in various life domains.