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Self-control and the reasons behind our goals
Benjamin A Converse1, Lindsay Juarez2, Marie Hennecke3
1Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|August 3, 2018
Summary
Individuals with higher self-control are more likely to experience autonomous motivation, meaning they "want to do" their tasks. This association is strongest when people expect to continue working on a goal.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Autonomous motivation, driven by intrinsic enjoyment, predicts goal success and well-being.
- Existing theories often overlook individual self-regulatory tendencies in motivation quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between individual differences in self-control and autonomous motivation.
- To determine if trait self-control influences the likelihood of "wanting to" pursue goals.
Main Methods:
- Multiple studies were conducted, including exploratory and replicated experience-sampling studies (Studies 1 and 1R).
- Cross-sectional studies (Studies 2 and 3) refined the interpretation of the findings.
- An experimental study (Study 4) tested the goal-dependency of the association.
Main Results:
- Trait self-control was consistently associated with autonomous motivation.
- This association was dependent on the expectation of continued task engagement, supporting a self-regulatory account.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in self-control are a significant factor in the quality of motivation.
- Self-control may be a key trait influencing autonomous motivation, integrating different motivational perspectives.
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