6533b7cffe1ef96bd1258378
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Self-Control in Daily Life
Mario WenzelThomas KubiakTamlin S. Connersubject
Social Psychologymedia_common.quotation_subjecteducation05 social sciencesCognitive flexibility050109 social psychologySelf-controlHabit strengthDaily diaryAffect (psychology)050105 experimental psychologyClinical PsychologyDistraction0501 psychology and cognitive sciencesPsychologyStimulus controlSocial psychologypsychological phenomena and processesmedia_commondescription
In this daily diary study, we investigated the flexibility-enhancing effects of positive affect on the self-reported success of self-control strategies followed in daily life; 297 participants completed a 13-day daily diary that included measures of positive affect, desire, and habit strength as well as three self-control strategies (i.e., monitoring, distraction, and stimulus control). We found specific effects of positive affect on self-control strategies: Individuals with higher positive affect were most successful when following a strategy of distraction (e.g., thinking about something else), particularly when faced with strong tempting desires. These results reinforce the idea that positive affect is associated with both cognitive flexibility and distractibility, which may help people distract them from tempting desires.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-02-19 | Social Psychological and Personality Science |