self-control
Sign in to saveAlso known as self‐restraint, self-regulation
thumb|Ulysses and the Sirens (Draper)|Ulysses and the Sirens by H.J. Draper (1909) Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. It is an aspect of inhibitory control, one of the core human executive functions. Executive functions are cognitive processes that are necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals.
Research
268,567 papers- Self-control ≠ temporal discounting.Current opinion in psychology · 2024
- Self-control and self-expression.Current opinion in psychology · 2024
- Effortless self-control.Current opinion in psychology · 2024
- Self-Control and Academic Achievement.Annual review of psychology · 2019
- Beliefs about self-control.Current opinion in psychology · 2024
via PubMed
~32 min read
Article
27 sectionsContents
- Self-control in science
- Counteractive self-control
- Satiation
- Construal levels
- Human and non-human
- Alternatives
- Skinner's survey of techniques
- Physical restraint and physical aid
- Changing the stimulus
- Depriving and satiating
- Manipulating emotional conditions
- Using aversive stimulation
- Drugs
- Operant conditioning
- Self-punishment
- Incompatible responses ("doing something else")
- Brain regions involved
- Prefrontal cortex
- Outcome factors influencing choice
- Glucose and self control
- "Marshmallow test"
- Ego depletion
- Self-control in philosophy and theology
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Ulysses and the Sirens (Draper)|Ulysses and the Sirens by H.J. Draper (1909) Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. It is an aspect of inhibitory control, one of the core human executive functions. Executive functions are cognitive processes that are necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals.
As an executive function, self-control supports goal-directed behavior, planning, and decision making. In psychology, self-control is often distinguished from the broader construct of self-regulation, which includes the monitoring, adjustment, and maintenance of behavior and emotional states across changing situations.