More than resisting temptation: Beneficial habits mediate the relationship between self-control and positive life outcomes.
More than resisting temptation: Beneficial habits mediate the relationship between self-control and positive life outcomes.
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DOI：
10.1037/pspp0000026
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发表时间：
2015-09
影响因子：
7.6
通讯作者：
Duckworth AL
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Galla BM;Duckworth AL
为什么自我控制能预测如此广泛的积极生活结果？传统观点认为，自我控制是用来努力抑制适应不良的冲动，但这种观点与新出现的证据相冲突，即自我控制与日常生活中较少的抑制有关。我们认为，自我控制能力较强的人使用较少的努力抑制，但在实现目标方面取得更大进展的原因之一是他们依赖于有益的习惯。在6项研究（总N = 2，274）中，我们发现支持这一假设。在研究1中，吃健康零食、锻炼和持续睡眠的习惯介导了自我控制对增强自动性和降低执行这些行为时的努力抑制的影响。在研究2和3中，学习习惯介导的影响，自我控制减少动机干扰，在工作-休闲冲突和更大的能力，即使在困难的情况下学习。在研究4中，作业习惯中介了自我控制对课堂参与和作业完成的影响。研究5是一项前瞻性纵向研究，研究对象是参加了为期五天的冥想静修的青少年。静修前更好的自我控制力预示着静修后三个月更强的冥想习惯，习惯介导了自我控制力对成功实现冥想练习目标的影响。最后，在研究6中，学习习惯介导了自我控制对家庭作业完成的影响，以及两个客观测量的长期学术成果：平均成绩和大学一年级的坚持。总的来说，这些结果表明，有益的习惯-也许比努力的抑制-是一个重要的因素连接自我控制与积极的生活结果。
Why does self-control predict such a wide array of positive life outcomes? Conventional wisdom holds that self-control is used to effortfully inhibit maladaptive impulses, yet this view conflicts with emerging evidence that self-control is associated with less inhibition in daily life. We propose that one of the reasons individuals with better self-control use less effortful inhibition, yet make better progress on their goals is that they rely on beneficial habits. Across six studies (total N = 2,274), we found support for this hypothesis. In Study 1, habits for eating healthy snacks, exercising, and getting consistent sleep mediated the effect of self-control on both increased automaticity and lower reported effortful inhibition in enacting those behaviors. In Studies 2 and 3, study habits mediated the effect of self-control on reduced motivational interference during a work-leisure conflict and on greater ability to study even under difficult circumstances. In Study 4, homework habits mediated the effect of self-control on classroom engagement and homework completion. Study 5 was a prospective longitudinal study of teenage youth who participated in a five-day meditation retreat. Better self-control before the retreat predicted stronger meditation habits three months after the retreat, and habits mediated the effect of self-control on successfully accomplishing meditation practice goals. Finally, in Study 6, study habits mediated the effect of self-control on homework completion and two objectively measured long-term academic outcomes: grade point average and first-year college persistence. Collectively, these results suggest that beneficial habits--perhaps more so than effortful inhibition--are an important factor linking self-control with positive life outcomes.