Resist temptation? Whom(s) self-control makes unhappy
Self-control has to be learned. Abstaining, saying "no" - the discipline to resist temptations is considered an important characteristic on the path to success. WU scientist Michail Kokkoris, together with colleagues from the Universities of Cologne and Zurich, investigated how strict self-control affects us and our well-being, and whether it also makes us happier.
The scientists of this "self-control" study were able to show that people who decide "by instinct" rather than rationally perceive high self-control as inauthentic and consciously decide against it. The study has now been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Eating fruit instead of sweets, using the stairs instead of the elevator, working and studying instead of lying in the sun: self-control and discipline are seen as key success factors for achieving long-term goals such as less body weight, more fitness or even the next rung on the career ladder. But do we really always feel better and stronger when we resist temptations? Does self-control also make us happier? This question was explored by WU researcher Michail Kokkoris from the Institute of Marketing and Consumer Research together with Erik Hoelzl from the University of Cologne (GER) and Carlos Alós-Ferrer, University of Zurich (CHE).
The results of the study make it clear that self-control does not always lead to greater satisfaction with a decision. Rather, it depends on what a person sees as the legitimate basis for his or her decisions.
Type thing: temptation versus authenticity
In a total of 11 studies, the study authors investigated whether people's personality type plays a decisive role in their perception of self-control. The so-called "lay rationality" describes the tendency of a person to make decisions primarily on the basis of rational reasons rather than feelings. The results of the study showed: People with low lay rationality, i.e., who make decisions more intuitively and emotionally than rationally, find self-control or resisting temptation less satisfying than rational decision-makers.
The study authors also found the reason for this - Michail Kokkoris explains: "People who tend to rely on their feelings when making decisions feel less authentic themselves when they abstain. They feel they are suppressing their needs and desires and thus cheating themselves. Paradoxically, therefore, for them the loss of self-control simultaneously means self-discovery. Conversely, people with high lay rationality see self-control as a recipe for happiness."
Giving in to temptation does not always mean loss of control
According to the study, self-control is not just a skill, but also a person's conscious choice and preference. "It can be concluded from our study that we may not simply lose control of ourselves and eat chocolate, for example, but that we consciously choose not to exercise self-control in order to remain true to ourselves," Kokkoris said. "It remains undisputed that self-control is an important pillar of our society, yet research has so far completely ignored the fact that self-control is not perceived as exclusively positive."
About the study:
To answer their research questions, the study authors used several methods for a total of 11 studies with around 3,000 participants. For example, in one of the experimental studies, students on a diet had to choose between chocolate and carrots in a laboratory and were then asked about their feelings. For another study, study participants in the U.S. were asked shortly before Easter to keep a daily diary for a week about their temptations and feelings over the past 24 hours.
