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Will-powered: Synchronic regulation is the difference maker for self-control.

Zachary C Irving1, Jordan Bridges2, Aaron Glasser3

  • 1University of Virginia, Corcoran Department of Philosophy, United States of America.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Self-control relies on synchronic regulation, using willpower to resist immediate temptation. Diachronic regulation, planning to avoid future temptation, is not considered self-control in common understanding.

Keywords:
Experimental philosophyFolk psychologyMoral psychologySelf-controlSituational self-controlWillpower

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Economics
  • Psychology
  • Philosophy

Background:

  • A prevailing consensus suggests two regulatory strategies for self-control: synchronic (resisting current temptation) and diachronic (planning to avoid future temptation).
  • However, this consensus may be flawed as willpower (synchronic) is often used to implement plans (diachronic), potentially contaminating the distinction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel method to differentiate synchronic and diachronic regulation.
  • To investigate the folk concept of self-control and determine which regulatory strategy is considered essential.

Main Methods:

  • A multifactorial method was developed to disentangle synchronic and diachronic regulation.
  • Four experiments explored various temptations, including a classic example (Odysseus and the Sirens), to assess folk intuitions.
  • A final experiment examined the role of synchronic regulation in diachronic self-control scenarios.

Main Results:

  • Folk intuition designates only synchronic regulation, not diachronic, as self-control.
  • This pattern held across diverse experimental conditions and temptations.
  • Diachronic self-control was found to depend on the application of synchronic regulation at both planning and execution stages.

Conclusions:

  • Synchronic regulation, the use of willpower against immediate temptation, is the sole determinant of the folk concept of self-control.
  • Diachronic regulation, while involving planning, does not constitute self-control on its own.
  • Future research should focus on the interplay and distinct roles of synchronic and diachronic strategies in self-regulation.