Beyond Willpower: Strategies for Reducing Failures of Self-Control

Almost everyone struggles to act in their individual and collective best interests, particularly when doing so requires forgoing a more immediately enjoyable alternative. Other than exhorting decision makers to “do the right thing,” what can policymakers do to reduce overeating, undersaving, procras...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological science in the public interest 2018-12, Vol.19 (3), p.102-129
Main Authors: Duckworth, Angela L., Milkman, Katherine L., Laibson, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior Control - methods
Best interests
Decision makers
Decision Making
Delayed
Economics, Behavioral
Humans
Models, Psychological
Policy making
Procrastination
Self control
Selfdefeating behaviour
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Summary:Almost everyone struggles to act in their individual and collective best interests, particularly when doing so requires forgoing a more immediately enjoyable alternative. Other than exhorting decision makers to “do the right thing,” what can policymakers do to reduce overeating, undersaving, procrastination, and other self-defeating behaviors that feel good now but generate larger delayed costs? In this review, we synthesize contemporary research on approaches to reducing failures of self-control. We distinguish between self-deployed and other-deployed strategies and, in addition, between situational and cognitive intervention targets. Collectively, the evidence from both psychological science and economics recommends psychologically informed policies for reducing failures of self-control.
ISSN:1529-1006
2160-0031
1539-6053
DOI:10.1177/1529100618821893