What is SC?
Ability to control/inhibit ones impulses and override emotions.
Low SC are at risk as impulses can hijack their behaviour
Four domains of SC
Baumeister et al (1994)
Thoughts, emotions, feelings and performance
Benefits of high SC (6)
- Less criminality (Gottfredson + Hirschi, 1990)
- More secure attachment (Einsenberg, 2012)
- Less divorce / single parenting (Dunedin)
- Better mental health/self-esteem (Tangney, Baumeister, Boone; 2008)
- Less substance abuse (Tangney, Baumeister and Boone, 2008)
- More proffessional and academic success (Dunedin)
Children’s self control
- Detectable at age 5
- In the Dunedin study (Moffit and Caspi, 2011) found SC predicted life outcomes decades later
- Children who were rated by parents and teachers as having better self-control were rated more popular
- Children with the best self control were usually securely attached (warm parenting entices SC) Eisenberg (2012)
Issues with the Dunedin study
Most of the children studied were ‘disadvantaged from the get-go’. They were from poverty, so may not be generalisable samples. They already scored low on motor and cognitive skills
Morality and SC
Baumeister and Exline (2001). Self-control is needed to stop individualistic behaviour and elicit virtuous behavoiur. Failures of self-control are attributed to the seven deadly sins.
GLUTTONY: Overeating (e.g., Dunedin found low SC were more likely to be obese)
SLOTH: Laziness / lack of control over procrastination
Interpersonal Relationships (3)
- High SC may make desirable partners (less outburst of anger / adulterous distractions) (Tangney, Baumeister + Boone, 2008)
- Dark triad (psychopathy is linked to less SC - more exploitative and short term mating strategies (Carter, Campbell + Muncer, 2014)
- Dunedin - less single parenting and lower divorce rates
Crime
- Muscle theory of SC: Criminals display low levels of selfcontrol in legal situations (unplanned pregnancy, erractive attendance records, smoke cigarettes) Gottfredson + Hirschi (1990)
- Burton et al (2008) Gender gap in crime was non-existent when SC was taken into account
- Block et al (1961) found SC was a risk factor for delinquency and aggressive behaviour in boys
Gender and SC
Ridder et al (2012). Men and women report the same amount of SC. However, the effect is different. Men experience more aggressive and sexual impulses (Eagly, 1987)
Can SC be learnt? (3)
- PRACTICE: Studies have found that over short periods of time, SC can be improved. Those restricting their food intake displayed better SC (Muraven, 2010). However, it is unclear whether this improvement was from practice or greater awareness of SC
- ABSTRACT THINKING: Fujita et al (2006) asked participants to engage in construal thinking for long term (why exercise) and short term (how). Those in the high construal thinking held onto a difficult hand grip for longer. They were also more likely to engage in delayed gratification and less likely to evalute beer and television positively. SC could be PRIMED!
- HIGH LEVEL CATEGORISATION: By adhering to one goal, thinking of the future and ignoring smaller goals, achievement may be more easily attained
- Behavioural self-control training has been useful for anger. (Denson et al., 2011) gave 70 students two weeks of SC training, then exposed them to an insult and gave them the option to respond with a loud white noise. Very ecologically invalid
Health and SC
- Dunedin study found that high SC was linked to less obesity and better health in general
- SC is linked to healthy behaviours such as commitment to exercise regimes, condom use and more dietary restraint (Wills et al., 2007)
- 383 inmates highlighted a significant negative correlation between SC and nicotine dependence (Bannasadi et al., 2015).
- However, very high or very low SC can lead to particular disorders (OCD, ED, Anxiety / anger)
- Hill et al (2011) in a 10 year longitudinal study found that C was linked to greater longevity (even when factors such as age, gender, ses were considered).
- Jackson et al (2010) found 11 behavioural outcomes linked to C, including cleanliness, this is likely to improve health and reduce expose to pathogens.
