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Effortless self-control
Marleen Gillebaart1, Iris K Schneider2
1Utrecht University, Social, Health, and Organisational Psychology, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|August 23, 2024
Summary
Effortless self-control is possible through quicker conflict resolution and developing automatic habits. Strategies exist to avoid difficult impulse resistance, suggesting easier paths to successful self-control.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Self-control is crucial for life success but often perceived as demanding.
- Recent research suggests self-control can be achieved with less effort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the concept of effortless self-control.
- To identify mechanisms facilitating easier self-control.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent research on self-control.
- Analysis of associations between high self-control and conflict resolution.
- Examination of behavioral automatization and proactive strategies.
Main Results:
- Individuals with high self-control identify and resolve conflicts faster.
- Automatization of behaviors leads to more effortless self-control through ingrained habits.
- Proactive strategies can circumvent the need for effortful inhibition.
Conclusions:
- Successful self-control is not solely dependent on intense effort.
- Developing automatic habits and employing anticipatory strategies offer more efficient routes to self-control.
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