Do you struggle with self-control? How to stop the allure of temptations
New research shows that the way we think about temptations can help us to resist them.
Self-control can be hard for all of us. Even those who have lots of willpower and aren’t prone to impulsive decisions are usually surrounded by temptations such as indulgent food, shiny new products, or the endless distractions of social media. Research has identified some strategies how to deal with such temptations that can be summarized as preemptive self-control (e.g., Fujita et al., 2020). That means that people plan ahead and limit their exposure to temptations before a weak moment arises, for example by banning all chocolate from one’s house or by installing productivity apps that limit one’s access to social media at certain hours.
Ironically, those people who have lots of willpower and are not very impulsive are often best at preemptive self-control. This is why they don’t have to use their willpower as much, because they prevent themselves from encountering temptations in the first place. But what can people do whose willpower is unreliable and who are sometimes impulsive?
If that’s you, new research by John Lydon and colleagues from McGill University in Canada has a solution for you. In their studies, the authors recruited people in romantic heterosexual relationships and measured their impulsivity. Then, participants encountered the temptation: an attractive alleged other participant of the opposite gender who was in reality an employee of the research team. Participants were then asked about their opinion of this other person.
Imagine you’re one of the participants. The more you let yourself think about how attractive the stranger is, the less commitment you might feel regarding your actual relationship, which could pose a danger to your long-term happiness with your partner. Thus, it would be better to focus on what you don’t like about the stranger, such that your commitment to your partner is protected. That’s exactly what participants did, and especially those who are normally impulsive. They rated the stranger as more negative, thereby reducing the allure of the temptation.
Although this strategy was demonstrated here in a romantic heterosexual context, it could also be used in many other situations. After all, similar strategies to resist temptations generally work in all kinds of settings, whether the temptation is food, sleep, or watching TV. For example, the next time you’re confronted with tempting cookies while you’re trying to eat healthier, focus on the negatives of the temptation. Maybe the cookies are already a bit stale, or might hurt your teeth? Same with the temptation to watch TV instead of studying. Maybe only re-runs are on anyway, and you’ve actually grown tired of some of the shows you used to like? Even if willpower fails, all temptations have some downsides. If you can focus on these, resisting will be much easier.
Originally published on Professor Janina Steinmetz's blog on Psychology Today, August 2024.
References:
Fujita, K., Orvell, A., & Kross, E. (2020). Smarter, not harder: A Toolbox approach to enhancing self-control. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 7(2), 149–156.
Lydon, J. E., Tissera, H., Auger, E., & Nishioka, M. (2024). Devaluation of Attractive Alternatives: How Those With Poor Inhibitory Ability Preemptively Resist Temptation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 01461672241259194.