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NEW YORK, USA, October 9, 2010:
"There is research that shows people still have the same self-control
as in decades past, but we are bombarded more and more with
temptations," said Kathleen Vohs, associate professor of marketing at
the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. "Our
psychological system is not set up to deal with all the potential immediate
gratification."
This isn't new. Temptation, obviously, has been around forever. But since
the Industrial Revolution, she said, the opportunities have increased along
with idle time. And now, with goods and services available at a keystroke,
with 24-hour corner stores, fast food and fast cash, we are inundated as
never before.
The real question, then, is whether there's anything we can do about it.
Are there ways to build up willpower?
Research has shown that willpower is somewhat like a muscle in that it can
get fatigued if overused in a short timespan. People who had to exert more
willpower in one task "exhausted their self-regulatory strength, at
least temporarily" Professor Pychyl said. One practical example, he
noted, is that after a stressful day at work, studies show, people are less
likely to exercise and more likely to watch television.
But still true to the muscle analogy, willpower can be built up over time
with practice.
Some new research has shown that self-control may be increased if a
challenge is seen as fun, not work. When experiments with volunteers used
instructions with the word "fun," even those with low
self-control exerted more willpower than expected, Professor Laran said.
But it turns out volunteers high in self-control perceived the given task
as fun, while those with low self-control viewed it as work.
Another method is to in place external controls, like having money
automatically deducted from your paycheck, or making a public commitment in
front of family and friends.
A good strategy is setting specific goals, phrased in a certain way. "
'When I do this, then I will do that,' " Professor Vohs said.
"For example, 'When I am done with work, I will go to the gym,' works
much better than 'I should go to the gym.' Positive decisions should happen
before the temptation, such as 'If I am offered dessert, I will ask for a
cup of coffee instead.' ".
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