The Importance Of Self Control And Self-Regulation

Grounded in a long philosophical tradition, in so far as virtue depends on stifling self-serving or antisocial impulses for the greater good, self-control has been called the “master virtue”(Baumeister and Exline, 1999, p1). (Baumeister et al, 1999). It has been said that “a good life reflects choice and will” (Peterson and Seligman, 2004, p12). The majority believe that they could improve their lives if only they had more of that elusive thing called willpower. So how to resist in the face of temptation? Could self-control and self-regulation be the key to personal success in life?

Self-control and self-regulation have been described as uniquely human abilities (Baumeister, Heatherton, Tice, 1994). The capacity to control and regulate impulses,

(Baumeister et al, 2009). Individuals control their behaviour to pursue high standards and long-term goals and in this endeavour avoid procrastination, delay gratification and curb compulsive and impulsive behaviour (Baumeister, 2002). According to Baumeister the effectiveness of self-control depends, however, on multiple factors including chronic traits and weaknesses, clear goals (and absence of conflicting standards), self-monitoring and the extent of ego depletion caused by the prior exertion or decision making (Baumeister, 2002). The latter is based on the strength model of self-control where self-regulatory strength is likened to a muscle that needs training and just like a muscle it can be depleted with use, and strengthened with practice (Muraven, Baumeister and Tice, 1999). It has been shown that motivation is also significant as depleted individuals may compensate for their lack of self-control resources when sufficiently motivated (Muraven and Slessareva, 2003). Problems with any of these components can result in a breakdown of self-control (Baumeister et al, 1999). Emotional distress, for example has been shown to cause individuals to indulge immediate impulses, prioritising feeling better over self-regulatory goals (Tice et al, 2001). While meta-analytical support has been provided for this strength model, (Hagger, Wood, Stiff, Chatzisarantis, 2010)), recent studies have questioned this theory (Lurquin, Michaelson, Barker, Gustavson, Von Bastian, Carruth and Miyake,