Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2025
07:07
Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
Published on: June 5, 2016
8.5K
Everything everywhere all at once: mapping lay beliefs about self-control
Jinyao Li1, Marleen Gillebaart1, Tim van Timmeren1
1Department of Social, Health, and Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 16, 2025
Summary
Understanding self-control beliefs is key to improving self-control. This study identified 14 components of these beliefs, revealing self-control as challenging, committed, and disciplined, not just a limited resource.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Self-control is crucial for goal achievement.
- Beliefs about self-control influence its effectiveness.
- Existing research lacks a systematic understanding of these beliefs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively map individuals' beliefs about self-control.
- To identify key components of self-control beliefs across different cultures.
Main Methods:
- Survey administered to participants from the United States, the Netherlands, and China (N=150).
- Direct questioning regarding views on self-control.
Main Results:
- Identified 14 key components of self-control beliefs.
- Beliefs characterize self-control as challenging, committed, and disciplined.
- Findings offer a perspective beyond self-control as a limited resource.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive framework for understanding lay beliefs about self-control has been established.
- These beliefs significantly shape the exertion of self-control.
Related Concept Videos
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
18.2K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
18.2K
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
38.6K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
38.6K
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
12.8K
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is...
12.8K
01:14Rotter's Locus of Control
177
Julian Rotter introduced the concept of locus of control, a cognitive factor that significantly influences personality development and learning. Locus of control refers to an individual's beliefs about the extent of control they have over events in their lives. According to Rotter, this belief system can be categorized into two types: internal and external locus of control.
Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that their personal efforts and decisions directly affect their...
Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that their personal efforts and decisions directly affect their...
177
02:16Self-Schemas
30.8K
In general, a schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.
30.8K
01:29Structure of Self
303
Sigmund Freud's model of the human psyche is often illustrated using an iceberg analogy. The iceberg's visible tip represents the conscious mind, which includes thoughts and perceptions that individuals are immediately aware of. However, the larger, submerged portion of the iceberg represents the unconscious mind, a reservoir of repressed desires, instincts, and memories. According to Freud, human behavior is primarily shaped by this hidden realm.
Components of the Mind: Id, Ego, and...
Components of the Mind: Id, Ego, and...
303