Self-control

Self-control is an aspect of inhibitory control, one of the core executive functions.[1][2] Executive functions are cognitive processes that are necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals.[1][2] Defined more independently, self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses.[3] Thought to be like a muscle, acts of self-control expend a limited resource. In the short term, overuse of self-control leads to the depletion of that resource.[4] However, in the long term, the use of self-control can strengthen and improve the ability to control oneself over time.[3][5]

A related concept in psychology is emotional self-regulation.[6]

Self-control is also a key concept in the general theory of crime, a major theory in criminology. The theory was developed by Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi in their book A General Theory of Crime (1990). Gottfredson and Hirschi define self-control as the differentiating tendency of individuals to avoid criminal acts independent of the situations in which they find themselves.[7] Individuals with low self-control tend to be impulsive, inconsiderate towards others, risk takers, short-sighted, and nonverbal oriented. About 70% of the variance in questionnaire data operationalizing one construct of self-control was found to be genetic.[8]

  1. ^ a b Diamond A (2013). "Executive functions". Annual Review of Psychology. 64: 135–168. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750. PMC 4084861. PMID 23020641.
  2. ^ a b Timpano KR, Schmidt NB (February 2013). "The relationship between self-control deficits and hoarding: a multimethod investigation across three samples". Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 122 (1): 13–25. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.396.9232. doi:10.1037/a0029760. PMID 22924983. Self-control is the capacity to exert control over one's behavior and is necessary for directing personal behavior toward achieving goals.
  3. ^ a b Diamond A (2013). "Executive functions". Annual Review of Psychology. 64: 135–68. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750. PMC 4084861. PMID 23020641.
  4. ^ Muraven M, Baumeister RF (2000). "Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: Does self-control resemble a muscle?". Psychological Bulletin. 126 (2): 247–259. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.126.2.247. ISSN 1939-1455. PMID 10748642.
  5. ^ Muraven M, Baumeister RF, Tice DM (August 1999). "Longitudinal Improvement of Self-Regulation Through Practice: Building Self-Control Strength Through Repeated Exercise". The Journal of Social Psychology. 139 (4): 446–457. doi:10.1080/00224549909598404. ISSN 0022-4545. PMID 10457761.
  6. ^ Burman JT, Green CD, Shanker S (2015). "On the Meanings of Self-Regulation: Digital Humanities in Service of Conceptual Clarity" (PDF). Child Development. 86 (5): 1507–1521. doi:10.1111/cdev.12395. PMID 26234744. S2CID 31507777. The resulting analyses show how similar ideas are interrelated: self-control, self-management, self-observation, learning, social behavior, and the personality constructs related to self-monitoring.
  7. ^ Gottfredson M, Hirschi T (1990). A General Theory of Crime. Stanford University Press. p. 87.
  8. ^ Willems YE, Dolan CV, van Beijsterveldt CE, de Zeeuw EL, Boomsma DI, Bartels M, et al. (March 2018). "Genetic and Environmental Influences on Self-Control: Assessing Self-Control with the ASEBA Self-Control Scale". Behavior Genetics. 48 (2): 135–146. doi:10.1007/s10519-018-9887-1. PMC 5846837. PMID 29404830.

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